It's Labour Day weekend in Canada. What happens after today? School commences and you can be assured that many kids (and teachers) will be showing signs of anxiety, extreme tiredness and yes, even dread, caused by a brand new school year that is about to begin.
Lunches will be thoughtfully packed in spiffy new lunch boxes, carefully chosen back-to-school clothes draped here and there for the morning rush, backpacks stuffed to capacity with pens, pencils and basic school supplies, thorough showers and baths applied, AND bedtime curfews will be enforced in preparation for the next exciting day.... THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
Unwrapping...
"Move it, Miss Macintosh"
Authored by Peggy Robbins Janousky
Illustrated by Meghan Lands
Ages 4-7
Fabulous illustrations for you to enjoy...
About the book...
About the author...
About the book...
This reminds me so much of my teaching days. It is spot on. Miss Macintosh gets cold feet the very first day she is expected to teach in kindergarten.
"Miss Macintosh woke up
one morning certain of two things;
1) It was the first day of school.
2) She wasn't going."
But her wise principal, Mr. Bellwether, was on to her. He assembled his staff and they paid Miss Macintosh an early morning visit. The whole ensemble pitched in to get Miss Macintosh up and running.... literally. Mrs. Sketcher, the art teacher, picked out her dress (which was rejected by the way), Mrs. Burger bellowed that breakfast was being served and Mr. Jitters coached her not to play with her food but focus. More comrades stepped up to the plate to offer their help: Mr. Comfort, the school nurse, encouraged her to brush and floss, Ms. Patience, the guidance counsellor gave her one-on-one counsel and told her everyone is new at kindergarten so don't worry, and Miss Melody, the music teacher wrapped the whole... let's-get-Miss-Macintosh-to-work experience up in a song which everyone joyfully joined together to sing.
Will her peers be able to motivate her to get to her classroom on time? What will Miss Macintosh do once the bell rings? Will she go into her classroom and finally face her students who are showing major signs of first-day stress too? Can she walk through that door and actually teach those darling students waiting to meet their teacher for the very first time? I love how the author reconciles her dilemma. It's just splendid!
The illustrations are priceless. They are so well done with vibrant colours, fabulous expressions and busy, busy antics. They are powerful enough to tell the story all on their own but thankfully they have been paired with a wonderful engaging text that makes the whole story buzz and come alive.
I highly, highly recommend this book. It is a perfect read aloud to share. It unleashes a well-kept secret (that I am sure kids will be delighted to hear) .... teachers get the jitters on the first day of school too just like them!
About the author...
Peggy Robbins Janousky grew up in Brooklyn, New York, but never really felt like a city girl. She now lives in a small suburb of Orlando, where chickens are protected citizens and run wild in the street.
Peggy’s writing is just as quirky as the town she lives in. She is especially drawn to humorous picture books as well as to all forms of poetry. Much to the disgust of her family, Peggy naturally thinks in verse. It is a habit she does not plan on breaking.
Peggy’s love of writing is only matched by her love of animals. Her extended family includes four dogs, one cat, and two guinea pigs. Most of them are rescue and foster animals. It is common knowledge that Peggy uses the word “foster” as a code for “If you think I am giving this animal back you are out of your mind.” Thankfully she has the full support of her very patient husband, Stuart, and her sons, Josh and Jeremy.
Peggy’s work has appeared in many of Lee Bennett Hopkins’ anthologies, as well as in several children’s magazines. In her spare time she can be found silently correcting your grammar.
Peggy holds a master’s degree in education and has taught at all levels—preschool through college. She has a diverse background in international student affairs and special education, as well as early childhood administration and parenting literacy. Her dream is to combine her educational experiences with her writing, to help make a difference in a child’s life.
About the illustrator...
Meghan Lands is an illustrator and cartoonist from Montreal, Quebec, where she has always lived. She loves to draw people and animals in action. She writes and draws a monthly strip for Owl Magazine. Currently, she is learning to play the ukulele. You can see more about her non-ukulele pursuits at meghanlands.com. Move It, Miss Macintosh! (Fall 2016) is her first book and she is very excited about it
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It's a wrap.
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