The Best Class Picture Ever!

PreS-Gr. 2. It's class picture day for the second-graders, but Olivia is sad. The second grade (for unexplained reasons) has no teacher, and now, with the disappearance of the guinea pig, Elvis, they have no class pet. A wild search ensues, with Class 202 eventually racing off to the auditorium for their picture. Mr. Click, the photographer, noticing how down Olivia is, enlists the help of the class to bring a smile to her face, teaching them a bit of spelling and math along the way. At last, Elvis reappears and joins the cheering children for a picture. The day is complete when the principal leads them back for another class picture with their new teacher--Mr. Click. Bright gouache colors create a lively setting for the exuberant characters drawn as abstract figures with bold, black outlines; children taken with the art will have the bonus of discovering Elvis in almost every scene. With plenty of visual humor, Roche neatly captures the contrast between the order and chaos of a typical second-grade class. Louise Brueggeman
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