Time for (Earth) School, Dewey Dew

PreS-Gr 2—Click-Clack Waddle-Waddle Dot-Dot Dewey Dew does not want to go to school. Not on his planet or on the moons of Jupiter or on the Space Station Zoomalot. And he definitely does not want to go to Ms. Brightsun's School for Little Learners on Earth. Nonetheless, his mom makes him go because everyone has to go to school somewhere. Dewey Dew feels out of place. His new shoes pinch, his socks droop, his pants come up too high, and his shirt doesn't fit. His mother tells him everything is going to be okay and sends him on his way. But nothing is okay. Dewey Dew knows he is out of place at this new school, which makes him even sadder. Then he meets his classmate J.J., who invites Dewey Dew to stand with him in line with a smile, and that instantly makes Dewey Dew feel better. He smiles so brightly, his happiness flies all the way past the space station and the moons of Jupiter to his home planet, and he knows that everything will be okay. Children who have never been to school or are having to switch schools will instantly relate to Dewey Dew. His feelings of alienation and loneliness in a new place are ones that many children have despite assurances from parents that everything will be okay. The linear story follows Dewey throughout his day, and his colorful vocabulary conveys his feelings of not belonging. The illustrations are lovely, and the faces in Dewey Dew's classroom are diverse and reflective of classrooms today.