The Busy Life of Ernestine Buckmeister

K-Gr 2—Ernestine has a full schedule. Every day after school, she has a different lesson with a different teacher. Mondays, it's sculpting with Clay Lumpkin. Tuesdays, water ballet with Miss Goldfisher. On Sundays, Ernestine has yoga with Guru Prakash Pretzel. During one of her meditation sessions, she has an idea. She convinces her Nanny O'Dear to play in the grass on the hilltop with her. When her parents finally catch up with the pair, she talks them into slowing the pace a bit. Beautiful acrylic illustrations in vibrant colors show the child's myriad activities and frenzied lifestyle. However, the story seems to be written more for parents than children. Taking time to play without a schedule is one of the overarching themes here, but Ernestine seems to realize this all along.—Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL