*Dusts off typewriter*

*Sneezes*

Hello?? Hello!! After a much longer than anticipated (though much-needed) break from reviewing, I am gently dipping my tapping toes and typing fingers back into the scene. I have had a lovely time reading a grand smorgasbord of things, re-reading favourites, relaxing with romance novels, digging into decades of Peanuts comics, exploring all manner of picture books, and gobbling up graphic novels. But! I have missed writing and sharing what I have been reading!

So, without further preamble, please enjoy something lovely and sweet for this return: thanks to kind folks at Penguin Random House Canada and Nicole Banholzer PR, I had the chance to read the picture book Our Classroom Rules! written by Kallie George and illustrated by Jay Fleck. Hope you enjoy!

Written by Canadian author Kallie George (The Heartwood Hotel series, Goodnight, Anne with Geneviève Godbout), and illustrated by Jay Fleck (Tilly & Tank, Tiny T. Rex series with Jonathan Stutzman), Our Classroom Rules! is a wonderfully bright introduction to what makes for a terrific classroom. An appealing and adorable take on what “rules” in school, readers follow a small and sweet group of classroom friends as they experience a day of school activities. Opening with a bright scene in a classroom, the story begins: “Our classroom rules! Why?”, and readers join in to learn about what makes for an awesome classroom. Some cool “rules” for school include: trying to “be on time…and ready to learn”; looking out for our friends; cleaning up; lining up; and knowing that it is perfectly okay to make mistakes as “mistakes are part of learning”. The messages in Our Classroom Rules! are straightforward and perhaps oft-repeated in the preparing-for-school book genre- but it does not take away from how important and timeless those messages are. Offering a warm and cozy look at school- perfect for those new to preschool or those returning to school- that encourages extending kindness and compassion to ourselves, to our classmates, and to our teachers, Our Classroom Rules! makes for a terrific back-to-school read. With its highly appealing illustrations of animal friends, encouraging tone, and just-right amount of text, Our Classroom Rules! also makes for a good read aloud option. Interested reader can look for the first picture book introduction to this group of sweet friends called Our Playground Rules!, by the same prolific children’s creators. Bonus: Eagle-eyed readers might have fun discovering and following a visual gag running throughout Our Classroom Rules! involving two playful worms.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada and Nicole Banholzer PR in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own. Title has been published and is currently available.