Your First Day of Circus School

Author Tara Lazar
Illustrated by Melissa Crowton
Paperback
$8.99 US
| $11.99 CAN
On sale May 24, 2022 | 36 Pages | 9781774880388
Age 3-7 years | Preschool - 2
Reading Level: Lexile AD530L | Fountas & Pinnell L
A clever, comical re-imagining of the classic "first day of school" story, with a circus twist!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! It's the most amazing day on earth: the first day of school! It can be a daunting prospect, but don't worry — your big brother can show you the ropes. Join a nervous boy and his enthusiastic older brother as they navigate the highs and lows of a first day at school . . . except this school is a big top, and the teacher is named Miss Stupendous, and the cafeteria can be a zoo, literally! It turns out, school isn't so scary when you can let off steam during recess (on a steam train) and walk on stilts to all of your classes. With a bit of help from family and some new friends, you'll make it to the top of the class in no time! This charming take on school readiness will delight new school-goers and take a bit of the fear out of those first-day jitters.
  • HONOR | 2019
    Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design – Children
One of The Today Show's best back-to-school books for kids

PRAISE FOR Your First Day of Circus School:

“Whether getting ready for school themselves or relating to the comfort of having a loved one as a guide, young readers will enjoy this upbeat twist on the genre.” --Kirkus Reviews

“The sly juxtaposition of what you would expect to find at a regular school and the circus elements will entertain preschool and primary readers and would make for fine read-aloud to allay ‘first day’ jitters.” --CM Magazine

“. . . [I]ts tone encourages, and its art, rendered in big-top tones of yellow, blue, and pink, has the winsome simplicity of screen print illustrations.” --Publisher Weekly

“Young readers will gravitate to this brightly coloured, appealing book, and won’t be disappointed. . . The story is playfully loaded with puns and sage advice.” --Resource Links
TARA LAZAR taught herself to juggle at age ten in hopes of launching a career as a clown. Instead, she was voted class clown in school. Eventually she decided that writing silly stories like The MonstoreLittle Red Gliding Hood and most recently, 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story, was better than riding silly unicycles. Tara lives in New Jersey with her acrobatic daughters, strongman husband and hoop-jumping hamster. View titles by Tara Lazar
MELISSA CROWTON is the illustrator of the upcoming Mousie, I Will Read to You, as well as the Baby Code! series of board books. She has created doodles for Google's homepage, and works on illustration projects for publishers and other clients. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, Creative Quarterly and American Illustration. Originally from Utah, Melissa currently lives in Northern California. View titles by Melissa Crowton

About

A clever, comical re-imagining of the classic "first day of school" story, with a circus twist!

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! It's the most amazing day on earth: the first day of school! It can be a daunting prospect, but don't worry — your big brother can show you the ropes. Join a nervous boy and his enthusiastic older brother as they navigate the highs and lows of a first day at school . . . except this school is a big top, and the teacher is named Miss Stupendous, and the cafeteria can be a zoo, literally! It turns out, school isn't so scary when you can let off steam during recess (on a steam train) and walk on stilts to all of your classes. With a bit of help from family and some new friends, you'll make it to the top of the class in no time! This charming take on school readiness will delight new school-goers and take a bit of the fear out of those first-day jitters.

Awards

  • HONOR | 2019
    Alcuin Society Awards for Excellence in Book Design – Children

Reviews

One of The Today Show's best back-to-school books for kids

PRAISE FOR Your First Day of Circus School:

“Whether getting ready for school themselves or relating to the comfort of having a loved one as a guide, young readers will enjoy this upbeat twist on the genre.” --Kirkus Reviews

“The sly juxtaposition of what you would expect to find at a regular school and the circus elements will entertain preschool and primary readers and would make for fine read-aloud to allay ‘first day’ jitters.” --CM Magazine

“. . . [I]ts tone encourages, and its art, rendered in big-top tones of yellow, blue, and pink, has the winsome simplicity of screen print illustrations.” --Publisher Weekly

“Young readers will gravitate to this brightly coloured, appealing book, and won’t be disappointed. . . The story is playfully loaded with puns and sage advice.” --Resource Links

Author

TARA LAZAR taught herself to juggle at age ten in hopes of launching a career as a clown. Instead, she was voted class clown in school. Eventually she decided that writing silly stories like The MonstoreLittle Red Gliding Hood and most recently, 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story, was better than riding silly unicycles. Tara lives in New Jersey with her acrobatic daughters, strongman husband and hoop-jumping hamster. View titles by Tara Lazar
MELISSA CROWTON is the illustrator of the upcoming Mousie, I Will Read to You, as well as the Baby Code! series of board books. She has created doodles for Google's homepage, and works on illustration projects for publishers and other clients. Her work has been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, Creative Quarterly and American Illustration. Originally from Utah, Melissa currently lives in Northern California. View titles by Melissa Crowton