Jake Starts School

A laugh-out-loud look at one family’s first day of school and the dilemma of separation.

It’s Jake’s first day of school. He doesn’t want his mom and dad to leave him there, alone. So, Jake and his parents have to spend the first day of school together. Finger painting. Sharing snacks. Playing on the seesaw. Will Jake ever be able to stay at school on his own?

 

The answer will delight and reassure children and their (anxious) parents!

Michael Wright is the author and illustrator of the picture books Jake Stays Awake and Jake Goes Peanuts. He has worked in advertising as a copywriter and art director, creating some of the most memorable fish sticks commercials you’ve ever seen, and he has also worked designing animation and sets for television. He lives in Manhattan Beach, California, with his wife, Cheryl, and three children, Mason, Sloane, and Paxton, all of whom survived their first days of school.

“Bug-eyed Jake is back with another problem in this very funny addition to the canon of stories about starting kindergarten . . . Wright’s background in cartoons and film is clearly evident, and his eccentric portrayal of people who all look like giant thumbs with arms and legs is his trademark. The preposterously shaped characters, pithy rhymes and the many emotions expressed by just a few differently drawn lines make this an enjoyable graphic experience.”—Kirkus Reviews

 

“Michael Wright’s bright, bold illustrations in Jake Starts School look like they are a cartoon!  The book is full of humor and funny bird’s-eye view perspectives, and it’s Homer Simpson-esque in a good, ages four-to-seven kind of way.”—Bookpage

 

“The author uses gentle humor to portray an extreme case of separation anxiety and show how absurd it would be to not actually separate.”—San Francisco Chronicle

 

“This funny selection will easily transform first-day jitters into giggles.”—Booklist

 

“A hilarious tale of nerves.”—New York Post

Publisher: Square Fish
Distributor: MPS
Publication Date: 07-20-2010
Pages: 48
Measurements: 9.730in X 7.420in X 0.205in X 0.455lb