Late for School

by Mike Reiss, Michael Austin (Illustrator)

Follow the rollicking, surreal adventures of a young boy as he races to get to school on time.
Smitty is never late for school. Not when his shoes get stuck in a sea of thick, black tar. Not when the sky rains snowmen down on the city streets. Not when he uses his coat for a sail to catch a gale and is swallowed up by a whale. Or when he encounters a robot from Mars eating up cars…or a very, very hungry T. Rex!
With rhyming language and a vivid imagination, author Mike Reiss demonstrates that, for some children, getting to school on time can be an adventure. Illustrator Michael Austin’s humorous, exaggerated images colorfully bring to life the mischievous fun of the text. The surprise ending will delight young readers as they cheer on Smitty and his heroic efforts to beat the school bell.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, School, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2003

Reviews

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a hit with the kiddos - Smitty is NEVER late for school, no matter what crazy things he encounters on his commute:

"A bony T. rex
Was coming down Lex.
It saw me and started to drool.
I said, "You can eat me,
But you'll have to meet me
At three, when I get out of school."

I think this one has lots of writer's workshop potential with MG kids. Younger folks will love the illustrations and the silly adventure of it all.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

School Library Journal criticized this title for its simplistic continuous rhyme and its unsettling illustrations. However, I was quite tickled by the book. I think young children would laugh at Smitty’s crazy stories and the exaggerated illustrations – which are slightly reminiscent of the drawings in the Polar Express film.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mulberry Street all over again.

[Emily Farquhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for imaginative minds! Smitty has missed his ride to school and now has to find his way through New York City but of course not without some crazy adventures, from escaped zoo animals to robots, the pictures and presentation of this book are phenomenal and sure to catch students' attention.

F&P: C
AR:0.7

Six Traits:
Presentation
Ideas
Word Choice
Voice

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If my son had a favorite book, it would probably be this one. It ends up in our library stack every few months. It’s a story about one kid’s very surreal experience trying to walk to school one day. The rhyme and cadence of the story make this one fun to read aloud (which is good because we read this book a lot), and there is a lot to explore in the illustrations.

[Kimberly Luthin · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the little free library

[Patricia Kemp Blackmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smitty awakes his mind in a whirl the clock says 8am and if he does not hurry he will be late for school and he is never late for school. As he readies himself for school and rushes out the door he meets many obstacles determined to make him late for school. But he perseveres determined not to be late. How can he get there in time if he lost his shoes on the way or the streets began to flood. Then there is the escaped gorilla that hung him upside down until Smitty gave him a banana and the gorilla drop him for the snack.

Will Smitty make it to school on time and how many excuses will he come up with to appease his teacher?

This was a fun rhyming tale that kids will want to read over and over again. The author had some very good excuses for Smitty being late school and the illustrations were bold and in your face which will pull the child into the book until the last page is read. They will want to tell all there friends about the funny Late to School picture book.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from Peachtree Publishers for review. I was in no way compensated for this review. This review is my honest opinion.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun story about a boy's reason for his tardiness. The rhyming limerick-style narrative is amusing and the illustrations are so detailed and expressive. We loved the New York City references, and the tall tale style of the story. The story is similar to Late for School by Steve Martin and our girls loved the twist on the ending. Overall, it's a very entertaining story and we enjoyed reading it together.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids LOVED this book and I thought it was very cute. This boy thinks he is going to be late for school and he is NEVER late for school, not even when it is snowing snowmen out of the sky or when he is being attacked by a dinosaur or when his shoe gets stuck in tar and he has to run 50 blocks shoeless?!? But, when he gets there, he finds out it is Sunday! Then he sleeps through the start of school on Monday and really is late! I guess the kids doesn't have parents?!? I'm sure my kids would have given it 5 stars!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because it was very engaging and funny. I this this book would serve as a great read aloud because it can help me discuss the importance of being on time for school without singling out any children. This book has many of wonderful visuals which can serve as great way to tell the story for students who can not read very well.

[Seher Patka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an entertaining read aloud. I used it in my lesson to teach about story puzzles. The students filled in details about the character and setting. This book is about a boy who is NEVER late to school, even after all the obstacles he faces. He still reaches school just in time to find out it's actually Sunday.

[Heather Bowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is good to show imagination you can have the students write out what they are imagining. Their imaginations can run wild, there is nothing that is too big to imagine. And that is shown in this book. The student is talking about never being late to school and that day he was late and he was giving his story to his teacher on why he was late.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smitty has never been late for school, or so we are led to believe at the start of this humorous tale. We soon learn that Smitty has a penchant for stretching the truth. Plus, we learn that Mike Reiss has a very creative rhyming instinct.

[Shira Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has an incrediable rhyming scheme. Young children should be challenged to pick out the words that rhyme within the text as well as laugh at all the things that happen to the main character when he is "Late for School".

[Melinda Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illustrations by: Michael Austin
Published by: Peachtree Publishers, 2003, Atlanta, GA
Summary: EXCELLENT book with fabulous illustrations about a boy who lets his imagination wander as he walks to school...on a Sunday.

[Kena Kump · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book that I would buy for my school book collection. Larger than life illustrations are splashed across the pages. Rhyming patterns are good for literacy, and a boy going through outrageous situations to reach school are entertaining for kids and adults.

[Roland · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art work is wonderful, but the rhymes are just OK. The twist ending is pretty predictable. M. Night Shyamalan, it isn't.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about a boy who is never late for school. The rhymthmic prose is catchy and exciting. My son and I really enjoyed reading this one.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A boy spins a tall tale in rhyme as to why he's late for school. The rhyme is ok, and the premise might make a fun writing prompt, but frankly, the art was blech.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was the weirdest book i ever seen!

[Datoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for repetition Easy read book.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read tons of books with my kids but every once in a while one just stands out from the rest. My son actually found this one in his school library. We all loved the fantastic pictures.

[Breezy L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My other favorite children book right now. So Cute!!!

[Sharai · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fun read especially for children who make many excuses . It shows Smitty as he tells a slew of excuses as to why he was late for school.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever rhyming story about Smitty who is NOT going to be late for school. Great illustrations.

[Katherine Scholl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has great illustrations! The story is amusing and entertaining!

[Susanne Davison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent illustrations, fun rhyming text. My students love it every time!

[Kymberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute and fun book! illustrations are really fun and cute! I definitely would buy this book for my own library.