The First Day of School

Puppy is small and loves to play. Bear is big and feels grumpy. But the two unlikely friends soon become inseparable. All summer long they play hide-and-seek under the oak trees, fly down the lane on Bear's bike, and pretend to be pirates. Everything is perfect, until the weather cools down and the leaves start to change. Bear is suddenly too busy to play with Puppy. Now that Bear has started school, is he going to leave Puppy behind…forever? Award-winning author Larry Dane Brimner's gentle text and John Bendall-Brunello's warm illustrations combine in this memorable story of friendship.

Larry Dane Brimner is the author of more than 160 books for young readers. His books have received many awards, including the Carter G. Woodson Award, the Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award Honor, the NCTE Orbis Pictus Book Award Honor, and the Eureka! Gold and Silver state awards in California, among other accolades. Born in Florida, he taught at the high school and university levels in California for twenty years and now makes his home in both San Diego, California, and Tucson, Arizona. When he is not writing, he enjoys mountain biking, cooking, working with mosaic tile, and playing hide-and-seek with his schnauzer, Kubric. Learn more about the author at www.brimner.com.

John Bendall-Brunello is the illustrator of more than eighty children's books published throughout the world. He grew up in a village just north of Cambridge, England, the youngest in a family of nine children with many pets, including cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and even two white mice. He has won two Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Awards for his work in addition to a Florida state award honor and a Highlights High Five magazine "Illustration of the Year" designation. He currently lives in both Cambridge, England, and Cannes, France, with his wife and little dog. Learn more about the artist at www.johnbendall-brunello.com.