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Mohrbooks Literary Agency
Sebastian Ritscher
Original language
English
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GIANT-SIZED BUTTERFLIES ON MY FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

Paola Escobar Justin Roberts

Find out how butterflies in your tummy are a good thing in this fresh take on being nervous for the first day of school.
When a little girl wakes up on the first day of school, the butterflies in her stomach feel positively giant-sized! She really wants her mom to stay with her, on this first day.

As she and her mom make their way to school, Mom explains how the butterflies are a good thing. Everyone gets them (including parents) and they are a sign of something exciting happening - that we're about to learn and grow from a new experience and they can help us through it. So with the butterflies as her guide, the girl soars into her first day.

Beloved children's songwriter Justin Roberts brings one of his most popular songs to the page, alongside beautifully tender illustrations by Paola Escobar, in a story guaranteed to help readers of all ages reframe their first-day nerves as first-day excitement.

Justin Roberts, four-time Grammy nominee, has been called "the Judy Blume of Kiddie Rock" by The New York Times, and USA Today says he's "Hands down the best songwriter in the genre." He has also been praised for his deft and heartfelt lyrics by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, People Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times. He is also the author of The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade, illustrated by Christian Robinson. Justin lives near Chicago with his family.

Paola Escobar grew up traveling from town to town in Bogota, Colombia. She is the illustrator of Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, an Indie Pick called "a must-have for all libraries" in a School Library Journal starred review. She also illustrated Digging for Words, which received two starred reviews. She lives with her husband and her dog, Flora.
Available products
Book

Published 2023-05-30 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR

Book

Published 2023-05-30 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons BFYR

Comments

Roberts's rhythmic, first-person narrative beautifully harmonizes with Escobar's fluid digital gouache illustrations, using the metaphor of the butterfly to infuse a touch of whimsy into what could have been an otherwise bleak first day of school. This tender story will uplift young readers experiencing back-to-school anxiety, as well as the anticipation universal to new experiences of all kinds... A sensitive story sure to charm young and grown readers long past the first day of school.

That fluttery feeling in the stomach when one's about to try something new? Roberts offers a warmhearted reframe of that sensation in this look at a child's apprehension about starting school... A reassuring pep talk that will have readers finding their own first-day wings.

Each page is filled with rich colors and details, and we see that the other students are trailed by their own butterflies - welcome reassurance that everyone grapples with nervousness... Will help children conquer their jitters while preparing to go back to school - or anytime.