It's Picture Day Today!

Button is late -

late, late, late.

Missed the bus to school,

on this day of all days.

Everyone else who makes up the class -

Feathers, Strings,

Springs, Rings,

Pom-Poms, Yarns,

and Wheely Things -

they're all inside,

getting themselves together.

Getting ready for the teacher,

the camera,

the wide-angle moment.

But wait...

wait, wait, wait...

Button's not the only one late!

Children's Literature

The playful front cover gives a hint of the antics sandwiched between the covers. The yellow school bus and the doors that have "school" written above them clue us into the fact that this is "Picture Day" at a school. Then we turn the page to realize that the purple button that has been rolling across the pages right from the beginning is joining a whole group of buttons with the announcement "Here come Buttons." Feathers follow and then we see strings, and rings, and springs and other things. Each page is covered (leaving lots of white space so as not to be too cluttered) with "sequins, squiggles, glittering stars, fuzzy pom-poms, twisty yarns," all bouncing down the steps. Other items join in the parade, including clothes pins, ribbons, twisted wire glass frames, and bits of Easter grass. The glasses and a feather seem to be a large face on the page that asks "Who's missing?" All of the objects answer eagerly, "Teacher! I know who! GLUE!" Obviously out of breath, the tardy GLUE says "Whew" as everyone clambers around seeking attention. Now on the double gatefold spread we see that all of the items have been glued together to form a variety of animals and imaginative creatures and the teacher made of pipe-cleaners, Dixie cups, and fabric scraps is enjoining them to "say cheese" as she takes their picture with an old camera. Bright and exuberant, this title will promote lots of discussion and provide the springboard for lots of art projects. It could also serve as part of an Earth Day project showing how odds and ends can become "art." Reviewer: Sheilah Egan

Megan McDonald is the author of the award-winning Judy Moody series and its companion series starring Stink. She is also the author of ANT AND HONEY BEE, illustrated by Brian Karas. "I used to live near my sister in Minnesota, where it’s very snowy," she says. "My sister had a mailman whose name was . . . Jack Frost. For real! I never forgot because I thought it was so funny and so magical." Megan McDonald now lives in Sebastopol, California.