cover image This School Year Will Be the BEST!

This School Year Will Be the BEST!

Kay Winters, illus. by Renée Andriani, Dutton, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-525-42275-4

On the first day of school, every student shares a wish for the upcoming year. Some wishes are quotidian (“I’ll look good in my school picture”; “I won’t lose things in my desk”) while others are more whimsical: “The principal will do something crazy!” “We’ll have a chocolate fountain at lunch!” There’s no plot to speak of, but Andriani’s paintings lend humor and heart to even the most mundane wishes, helping elevate this from just a catalogue of hopeful sentiments. Ages 4–8. (July)