Deborah Frenkel (text) and Laura Stitzel (illustrator), 100 school days, Affirm Press, June 2042, 32 pp., RRP $24.99 (hbk), ISBN 9781922930385
100 school days is a picture book that is valuable for preparing Australian kids for starting primary school. It could also be an accompaniment for celebrating the milestone of reaching the first 100 days of school.
The story centres around the first experiences of a child’s schooling, leading up to the excitement of a special class celebration to mark the first “100 days at school”. I love Frenkel’s entertaining short, punchy rhyming sentences that succinctly refer to common first year of school experiences, such as sports carnival and a school excursion, as well as more informal play and friendship interactions.
Stitzel’s brightly coloured illustrations are especially relevant to an Australian school context, depicting typical Australian school uniforms and classroom scenes, school playgrounds and buildings that resemble many Australian school environments.
The range of emotions that kids may feel when starting school are described in the text and also illustrated with facial expressions and body stances – from first day awkwardness and shyness to enthusiasm and delight in learning, creating and gaining independence and confidence. The lively, active energy of Stitzel’s illustrations cleverly imply the busyness of a school environment.
100 school days is a lovely celebration of a child’s development and adaptation to starting school. I highly recommend it as a school readiness resource for Australian four- and five-year-olds who will start school in the new year.
Reviewed by Barbara Swartz