Timothy Goes to School

Timothy is very excited about starting school-until he meets Claude. Claude sits next to him, and he wears all the right clothes, says all the right things, and garners all the praise from his teacher and classmates. Timothy is feeling down, until he meets a girl who's having the same problem with her seatmate....

"Children will easily relate to this tale, in which humor and realism effectively mesh."-Booklist, starred review

Wearing his brand-new, mom-made sunsuit, Timothy is all set for the first day of school. It looks like nothing can spoil this exciting moment... until perfect Claude shows up in his jacket and tie.

"Hello!" said Timothy.
"Nobody wears a sunsuit on the first day of school," said Claude.

It's all downhill from here. Claude has all the right clothes, answers every question correctly, and never has to eat lunch alone. Timothy is just about ready to give up trying when he meets Violet, who is suffering from a similar case of imperfection. Her problem is perfect Grace, who sings, dances, and counts up to a thousand. Soon Timothy and Violet are falling over with the giggles, and those first-day blues are fading fast.

Every school has a Claude or two, and less-than-perfect kids will be absolutely thrilled to read about Timothy's triumph over his initial insecurities. Rosemary Wells, author-illustrator of scads of award-winning books (Bunny Cakes and Emily's First 100 Days of School), has provided all-new illustrations for this edition of her classic. The expressions on Timothy's face, as he goes from innocent hopefulness to bewilderment to crushed dismay--and finally to hiccup-y joy--are true perfection. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter