Ready for School! (Cookie and Broccoli #1)

Gr 1-3—The scene is familiar—it's the start of a new school year, that classic mix of excitement and trepidation. Broccoli is very shy, and Cookie is outgoing to a fault—perhaps an attempt to overcome subconscious nervousness. Cookie takes hold of Broccoli and won't let go, pulling Broccoli reluctantly into social situations that might otherwise have been avoided; in one memorable moment, Broccoli hides behind a rock to be alone and Cookie insists on introducing everyone to this amazing talking rock. Though the book's purpose is clearly to help kids cope with shyness and to remind them that their peers largely feel just as nervous, it's nonetheless delightful, owing in no small part to Cookie and Broccoli's odd-couple chemistry. McMahon's illustrations are functional and fun, conveying the emotions of the duo's dialogue with a recognizably childlike directness. VERDICT Cookie and Broccoli find that communication is key, and this story, read independently or with an adult, is a great start to a conversation between early elementary students and their grown-ups about kind, confident social interaction.—Emilia Packard, Austin