Sammy and Sunny’s First Day of School

It’s day one of kid school for Sammy, who’s portrayed with brown skin, and day one of puppy school for family dog Sunny. After each drop-off, mild anxiety follows: Sammy looks a little lost amid the cubbies, and Sunny howls a mournful “AAAWOOOOOOO.” But both have calm, welcoming teachers, and beat-by-beat text from LaCour and crisp watercolor-washed ink drawings by Lilly depict lessons and routines that are relatively easy to embrace. As Sammy sits through circle time, Sunny digs with the other pooches; while Sammy learns to write their name at the top of each page, Sunny learns to sit and stay. A fanciful conceptual turn feels abrupt following the otherwise realistic story, but gentle developmental parallels offer a measure of sweetly comic reassurance for first-day jitters. Secondary characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 3–6. (July)