Play Day School Day

Mona is excited for another school year to start the following day, and her younger brother Milo’s curiosity is piqued. His asking “What do you do at school?” sparks an afternoon of playing together as Mona describes for him some of the aspects of school—riding a bus, reading and writing, science, math, art, music, listening and running around—and they enjoy together a little flavor of each activity in their own backyard. The loving relationship between the two siblings shines in this simple story, as Mona shares her love of school in a way that creates positive anticipation for Milo while also giving him a sense of what his soon absent sister will be doing each day. The bold illustrations on plain white backgrounds are simple yet effective, focusing the reader’s attention on each activity and how learning can be accomplished in the natural world. A nice celebration of school and of siblings, this sweet book is perhaps best enjoyed by children about Milo’s own age who won’t mind the simplicity of the tale and will revel in their own excitement for school to begin.