by Moe Zilla

Created on: August 27, 2010

Diane deGroat has written a series of books about Gilbert the porcupine - and many of the titles seem based on playground rhymes. (For example, there's a book called "Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet," and another one titled "Jingle Bells, Homework Smells.") Back when I was in grade school, on the last day of school we'd chant, "No more pencils, no more books…" But in 2005, deGroat twisted the slogan into something surprisingly enthusiastic for the title of her newest book about Gilbert.

 
"Brand-new Pencils, Brand-new Books."
 
Like all her books, this one has a comfortable, warm tone. It even opens with Gilbert's family having a conversation around the dinner table. "Tomorrow's the first day of school," his father says, and the next page shows Gilbert and his sister, stowing school supplies in their backpacks. On the walk to school, Gilbert worries about what his new teacher will be like. And he doesn't know any of the other students in his class, except for his friend Patti.
 
"Good morning and welcome to first grade," says their teacher, Mrs. Byrd.
 
I thought the author did a good job of remembering what it was like to go back for another year of grade school. The teacher had left name tags on everyone's desk, but of course Gilbert doesn’t see his. He's called out by another student - a fat beaver - who taunts, "Can't you read?" And then the teacher passes out their "special paper to write on" and reading books.
 
"Gilbert could see that first grade was going to be hard.
 
There's a wonderful drawing of the crowded cafeteria - the first time Gilbert has eaten in the same lunchroom as "the big kids." deGroat describes the children playing on the playground, and then choosing a book to read at "quiet time." The day ends with Gilbert and Patti gabbing about their new teacher, Mrs. Byrd, deciding that she "was very nice." deGroat dedicates the book 'to all the Mrs. Byrds out there, especially Ann Shea - and I had to wonder if that was her own first grade teacher.
 
That's really all there is to the story - just an empathetic story about children going back to school, with some very cute animals. After dinner Gilbert's family goes out for ice cream to celebrate the first day of school. It's a happy ending - even when Gilbert sees the dreaded principal, who's represented by a tired old bulldog.
 
"Gilbert knew that, as a rule, anyone who liked sprinkles on their ice cream had to be a very nice person!"

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