I could also see it being used in other settings such as guidance counselling or in families of young children with exceptionalities such as autism who may struggle with their first day of school or moving to a new school. I could definitely see this book being used in Grades K-3 classrooms, especially at the beginning of the year. Through an embrace with the two bears, readers see that sometimes the first day is scary but that there can always be a second first day. After a visit to the principal’s office, Max meets a little girl who also brings her stuffed teddy bear to school. He brings a stuffed bear with him and as the story unfolds it looks as though there is a large bear acting ferociously in the classroom but really the bear represents Max acting out and becoming upset in the new environment. This is the story of a young boy, Max, who is struggling with his first day of school. It's a wonderful book to share with little ones who are starting school for the very first time. The illustrations are perfect and cry out for conversations that explain Max's feelings and how he learns to cope with them. The book has a positive message highlighting being accepted, finding bravery inside of yourself, and the power of friendship to help fight your fears. I wonder what transpired to make that a reality to Max? While waiting outside on the blue bench for his ride home he encounters a girl who has the ability to put his jittery nerves at ease. Oh my! Things are not going well for Max his first day. This results in a visit to the principal's office and a call home to his mother to come and pick him up. Kalamazoo gets nervous and intimidating so Max cannot introduce himself to his new classmates and at lunchtime his stuffed bear goes BESERK, causing a huge mess and chaos everywhere. Kalamazoo is an extension of Max's own feelings and actions in reality. Kalamazoo for moral support and protection. He brings along his stuffed bear whose name is Mr. It's the first day of school and young Max is terrified to attend. Although, for anyone wondering, no, it is not ever actually referenced in-text. I don't think kids will get it, but it's still relevant in its literal sense, and it's a fun inside joke sort of thing for parents. I did appreciate the pun in the name though. It was clearly intended to be a Thing, but it was neither frequent enough nor plot-relevant enough to be funny or meaningful or educational or anything I can think of. I was also a little confused by the repeated use of "tickled pink" (emphasized by being printed in a special font). Did the teachers try anything before just sending Max home? And there's no apparent lesson, he just gets sent back the next day with an, "It's okay to have a little trouble at first"? I'm just not sure what the point of this book is. What did he do? It looks like maybe he made a mess? (It's hard to tell what's real, because half the pictures have the bear doing things, and all of them have kids fleeing Max, even though he doesn't seem to be doing anything particularly terrifying). a preschooler? is really underplayed, and not well matched to the whimsical tone of the book. If the latter (and I think this is what's intended, though I'm not sure littles will get this), the fact that Max acted out badly enough to get SENT HOME as. that's both a bit terrifying and a bit unfair that Max got kicked out of school for it. I couldn't figure out if this was a fantasy story where teddy bears actually come to life, or if Max was causing all the mischief supposedly caused by his bear. Maybe I'm overthinking things, but hey, I'm a literature major and that's just how I read things, and I think I would be irritated if I had to read this book a million times over. And I think little kids would love the silliness of this story.Īs a parent, though. Visually this book was just so cute and whimsical and absolutely lovely.
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