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School
School time! Everyone heads out the door, even little Bitty, who follows her big brothers and sisters to school. In class, Bitty stays busy with math, reading, and snack time. But when Mama comes for her, the youngest student finds that she is most happy to return home.
This story about a curious young mouse′s first visit to school was published nearly two decades ago. Now featuring text and larger illustrations in Caldecott Medalist Emily Arnold McCully′s signature ink-and-watercolor style, this read-aloud edition will capture the hearts of a new generation of picture-book readers.
This story about a curious young mouse′s first visit to school was published nearly two decades ago. Now featuring text and larger illustrations in Caldecott Medalist Emily Arnold McCully′s signature ink-and-watercolor style, this read-aloud edition will capture the hearts of a new generation of picture-book readers.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
1 person is currently reading
38 people want to read
About the author
Emily Arnold McCully
192 books76 followersEmily Arnold McCully received the Caldecott Medal for Mirette on the High Wire. The illustrator of more than 40 books for young readers, she divides her time between Chatham, New York, and New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
August 23, 2018
Wordless story about going to school. I had a little trouble following the story, as all the mice look alike, and there is no dialogue. Loved the fall colors!
Read
March 21, 2018text-to-teaching
This book is a picture only book. When I read this to my class, I would allow one student to come up and give their opinion on what is happening on that specific page. I would write the description they give me down. At the end of the day or maybe the next day, we will read the scripts the students created while looking at the pictures. I think this will show the students creativity and allow them to be authors themselves. One way to motivate students to enjoy reading is to show them that they can be writers also.
This book is a picture only book. When I read this to my class, I would allow one student to come up and give their opinion on what is happening on that specific page. I would write the description they give me down. At the end of the day or maybe the next day, we will read the scripts the students created while looking at the pictures. I think this will show the students creativity and allow them to be authors themselves. One way to motivate students to enjoy reading is to show them that they can be writers also.
March 15, 2011
I found out that this book use to be a wordless book and words were later added to it. This is definitely a book in where you take the time to study each picture because there are very few words. The watercolor pictures are very unique and give your eyes much to look at. I feel that this book is much more suited for preschool than lower elementary.
I would use this book as an introduction to illustrations and illustrators in a lower level elementary class. Since this book was intended to be wordless it is a great choice. If I was able I would get the wordless version and have the students come up with their interpretations of the story. There are many details that I would expect them to pick on. For example all the mice look the same, but the main character is wearing a watch to keep the reader informed of who she is.
I would use this book as an introduction to illustrations and illustrators in a lower level elementary class. Since this book was intended to be wordless it is a great choice. If I was able I would get the wordless version and have the students come up with their interpretations of the story. There are many details that I would expect them to pick on. For example all the mice look the same, but the main character is wearing a watch to keep the reader informed of who she is.
September 5, 2009
Cute book about a mouse family that goes to school and the littlest one bitty follows.
October 5, 2017
Award(s): N/A
Grade: Preschool—Kindergarten
Summary: This wordless picture book is about a family of mice on a school day. We get to see the mouse brothers and sisters on their way to school and follow through the school day. Starting with math, to reading, then snack time, and finally, when mother mouse comes to pick them up from school—this enjoyable book is a great discussion starter, as students will immediately connect with the characters from their experiences in school.
Review: Although there are no words in the book, the story of the mice going to school is very cute and fun. I enjoyed this book because I see value in choosing a relatable text for the students so they will be more engaged and interested in the story as well as having a lot more to say about it. The illustrations are nice and unique to look at because they are in McCully’s signature ink and watercolor style.
In Class Use: A class writing activity could be to write about what the mice did in school that day, and how it is the same or different as to what they do in their own school day. Another activity could be practicing transition words by making a schedule for themselves or the mice from the story, “First I unpack, next I go to morning meeting, then I have reading…”
Grade: Preschool—Kindergarten
Summary: This wordless picture book is about a family of mice on a school day. We get to see the mouse brothers and sisters on their way to school and follow through the school day. Starting with math, to reading, then snack time, and finally, when mother mouse comes to pick them up from school—this enjoyable book is a great discussion starter, as students will immediately connect with the characters from their experiences in school.
Review: Although there are no words in the book, the story of the mice going to school is very cute and fun. I enjoyed this book because I see value in choosing a relatable text for the students so they will be more engaged and interested in the story as well as having a lot more to say about it. The illustrations are nice and unique to look at because they are in McCully’s signature ink and watercolor style.
In Class Use: A class writing activity could be to write about what the mice did in school that day, and how it is the same or different as to what they do in their own school day. Another activity could be practicing transition words by making a schedule for themselves or the mice from the story, “First I unpack, next I go to morning meeting, then I have reading…”
February 27, 2017
Grade level: Pre K-1st grade
Summary: This picture book is about a tiny baby mouse who has their first visit to school. She follows her brothers to school one day and sees what its like to be in school. She stays busy by participating in all the classroom activities. Soon her mother comes to get her and she is happy to return home.
Review: I think that this was a whimsical and cute story to really have your imagination go with. This book is easy to follow and understand. The water colors in this story really brought the tale to life. It is a great book to begin the school year with and show what its like to go to school for the first time.
In class uses: You could use this book on the first day of school to get the kids excited to start the year. It is also a great opportunity to see where the kids go with how they interpret the story and how they think the book will end. During a free time period the children could just flip through this book and admire the pictures and just make the story their own.
Summary: This picture book is about a tiny baby mouse who has their first visit to school. She follows her brothers to school one day and sees what its like to be in school. She stays busy by participating in all the classroom activities. Soon her mother comes to get her and she is happy to return home.
Review: I think that this was a whimsical and cute story to really have your imagination go with. This book is easy to follow and understand. The water colors in this story really brought the tale to life. It is a great book to begin the school year with and show what its like to go to school for the first time.
In class uses: You could use this book on the first day of school to get the kids excited to start the year. It is also a great opportunity to see where the kids go with how they interpret the story and how they think the book will end. During a free time period the children could just flip through this book and admire the pictures and just make the story their own.
February 27, 2017
1. Preschool-2nd
2. This book is about mice in a classroom. There is a teacher teaching her students, math, anatomy, and doing a read aloud. This book tells a story about a students day in this classroom.
3. This book is really cute and adorable, the illustrations are detailed and engaging. Also I like how you can interpret different things from the book since there are no words. I think students would really enjoy looking at this book.
4. In class we can take this book and form small groups and make our own interpretations about what is going on in this classroom. We can then take our stories and read them to the class, which would be so much fun.
2. This book is about mice in a classroom. There is a teacher teaching her students, math, anatomy, and doing a read aloud. This book tells a story about a students day in this classroom.
3. This book is really cute and adorable, the illustrations are detailed and engaging. Also I like how you can interpret different things from the book since there are no words. I think students would really enjoy looking at this book.
4. In class we can take this book and form small groups and make our own interpretations about what is going on in this classroom. We can then take our stories and read them to the class, which would be so much fun.
March 16, 2021
The was a cute little story about a mouse named Bitty. Bitty didn't go to school because she was too young. But, all she wanted was to go to school like her brothers and sisters. She sneaks out of the house and goes to the school. She learns all about addition and subtraction. When the teacher realizes Bitty is there she calls but his mom to come get her. When Bitty's mom comes to get her body is so excited to tell her about everything she learned that day. You can feel Betty's excitement about school as you read the story the illustrations are not very detailed but are well done. The illustrations make sure to include elements and colors you would see in the classroom.
November 20, 2017
This book would be good for a eager kiddo who wants to be like older siblings going to school. Doesn’t really teach a lesson, more of a small moment type story. Illustrations are colorful.
March 30, 2021
Wordless-perfect to encourage kids to use their imaginations and write their own story!
February 27, 2017
1) CALDECOTT MEDAL
2) Pre-K through 2nd grade.
3) "School" follow the adventures of a young watch wearing mouse who follows her older brothers to school. Through her partaking in her older siblings daily school activities such as Math lessons, participating, and being read to. She learns that school is harder than she once thought and is glad to go home with her mother.
4) I thought that this book would be a great read in the beginning of the school year of Pre-K.As it gives them a taste of what a normal school day might look like for them. The book is also something that just about every child in the classroom can relate to. The wordless illustrations also allow you to ask the kids to fill in the blanks&create their own stories.
5) Beginning of the year reading.Allow the children to dictate a story of their own as a group.
2) Pre-K through 2nd grade.
3) "School" follow the adventures of a young watch wearing mouse who follows her older brothers to school. Through her partaking in her older siblings daily school activities such as Math lessons, participating, and being read to. She learns that school is harder than she once thought and is glad to go home with her mother.
4) I thought that this book would be a great read in the beginning of the school year of Pre-K.As it gives them a taste of what a normal school day might look like for them. The book is also something that just about every child in the classroom can relate to. The wordless illustrations also allow you to ask the kids to fill in the blanks&create their own stories.
5) Beginning of the year reading.Allow the children to dictate a story of their own as a group.
February 26, 2017
Award(s): N/A
Grade: Pre-School
Summary: Emily Arnold McCully's School is a wordless picture book about mice going to school. Although there are not any words in the book, it does tell a story about a typical school day including interations for a mouse starting from the beginning of the day to the end of the day.
Review: I really liked this book, I feel like alot can be done with it even though it is just a picture book. It was a picture book with a story line.
In Class Uses: Learning how to make predictions and interpretations. Children can relate to this book because they too are young students going to school. They can predict what happens next and they could interpret what the teacher is saying to the students. Making up scenarios enhances the imagination of a child.
Grade: Pre-School
Summary: Emily Arnold McCully's School is a wordless picture book about mice going to school. Although there are not any words in the book, it does tell a story about a typical school day including interations for a mouse starting from the beginning of the day to the end of the day.
Review: I really liked this book, I feel like alot can be done with it even though it is just a picture book. It was a picture book with a story line.
In Class Uses: Learning how to make predictions and interpretations. Children can relate to this book because they too are young students going to school. They can predict what happens next and they could interpret what the teacher is saying to the students. Making up scenarios enhances the imagination of a child.
Read
February 27, 20171. This book has not received any awards.
2. Appropriate grade levels: Pre-K, and K-1
3. This is a story about a day in the life of a group of mice who attend school. The story tells of their journey from home to school. It even includes what the parents do as their children go off to school.
4. This is a wordless book; there are no words at all. The illustrations are colorful and beautifully detailed. The story is unique and interesting because it takes a real-life subject but tells it through animals.
5. Interactive Writing workshop, Create a class book activity, and Begin the day.
2. Appropriate grade levels: Pre-K, and K-1
3. This is a story about a day in the life of a group of mice who attend school. The story tells of their journey from home to school. It even includes what the parents do as their children go off to school.
4. This is a wordless book; there are no words at all. The illustrations are colorful and beautifully detailed. The story is unique and interesting because it takes a real-life subject but tells it through animals.
5. Interactive Writing workshop, Create a class book activity, and Begin the day.
February 27, 2017
1.) No awards
2.) Preschool
3.) This book is about mice going to school. The teacher mouse teaches the students how to read and write. It also shows what a full day of school is like for a mouse, where the teacher reads, the students eat a snack, and their parents come pick them up.
4.) This book was very cute and clever. It was engaging and also colorful. Although, there were no words, the students could still figure out what the author was trying to say.
5.) The students could write a schedule of what they think the mice did during the school day.
Each student could create a schedule of their own of what they do during the day.
2.) Preschool
3.) This book is about mice going to school. The teacher mouse teaches the students how to read and write. It also shows what a full day of school is like for a mouse, where the teacher reads, the students eat a snack, and their parents come pick them up.
4.) This book was very cute and clever. It was engaging and also colorful. Although, there were no words, the students could still figure out what the author was trying to say.
5.) The students could write a schedule of what they think the mice did during the school day.
Each student could create a schedule of their own of what they do during the day.
Read
February 22, 20171. There were no awards for this book.
2. The appropriate grade levels to read this book are PreK and K.
3. There was this little mouse going to school with many of his friends. He did not have a notebook or paper to work with so the teacher gave him the opportunity to try to teach the class and hand out milk and cookies. When his mom came to pick him, he was very excited to go home.
4. This was a cute little story perfect for young students. It gives them many opportunities to deduce how the characters are feeling and to try to feel some empathy towards the characters. They can get creative to figure out what the plot of the story is.
5. This story could be used as a writing assignment to get the children to write a sentence or two about what they think is going on on each page. It could also be used to get them more familiar with their colors.
2. The appropriate grade levels to read this book are PreK and K.
3. There was this little mouse going to school with many of his friends. He did not have a notebook or paper to work with so the teacher gave him the opportunity to try to teach the class and hand out milk and cookies. When his mom came to pick him, he was very excited to go home.
4. This was a cute little story perfect for young students. It gives them many opportunities to deduce how the characters are feeling and to try to feel some empathy towards the characters. They can get creative to figure out what the plot of the story is.
5. This story could be used as a writing assignment to get the children to write a sentence or two about what they think is going on on each page. It could also be used to get them more familiar with their colors.
November 12, 2014
This story is about a little mouse who sees her siblings go to school and she decides she wants to go too. It starts with Mom getting the little ones up and out of the house to go to school. Little Bitty thinks that her Mom won't miss her during the day so she decides to walk herself to school. Once she is at school, her siblings notice her outside the window and invite her to come in and sit with the class. As she sits with the class, the teacher notices that one of the students is too little to be in school but she makes her feel welcome. She makes Little Bitty her special helper for the day. Of course, you don't see this but I am sure her Mom is worried about little Bitty and the teacher realizes that. She calls Little Bitty's Mom and tells her where she is. Little Bitty is kept busy being the teacher's helper. She helps her teach math, reading and even gets to hand out the daily snack. Of course, all this excitement makes Little Bitty very tired. She ends up falling asleep during the reading portion of the day. When she wakes up, her Mom is there to take her home. She tells her Mom all about what she learned that day but she enjoys the time spent with her Mom at home the best!
This was a winner of the Caldecott Medal and I can see why. The illustrations are so fun and colorful. Usually I like my illustrations crisp and clear but I enjoyed the colorful way the author drew the pictures and the look of them. It made the book very exciting and matched the text almost exactly. I think all kids would enjoy reading this book because it doesn't have a lot of dialogue and text but it has wonderful illustrations. This is a book where you could look at the illustrations and not even reading the text and you could make up your own story. I highly recommend this book to all children either looking forward to going to school or are almost at the age to attend school. It is a very easy read for early readers and even parents would enjoy reading this to their children.
This was a winner of the Caldecott Medal and I can see why. The illustrations are so fun and colorful. Usually I like my illustrations crisp and clear but I enjoyed the colorful way the author drew the pictures and the look of them. It made the book very exciting and matched the text almost exactly. I think all kids would enjoy reading this book because it doesn't have a lot of dialogue and text but it has wonderful illustrations. This is a book where you could look at the illustrations and not even reading the text and you could make up your own story. I highly recommend this book to all children either looking forward to going to school or are almost at the age to attend school. It is a very easy read for early readers and even parents would enjoy reading this to their children.
August 31, 2015
Emily Arnold McCully's SCHOOL is the winner of a CALDECOTT MEDAL and originally was published without text. Now the book has a few sentences of explanation which are at the 1st Grade Reading level. Accelerated Reading level: 1.0
Given the vagaries of buying books there's no telling which version you will receive. But either is enjoyable, and for little ones they can still 'read' the book as it was intended --without text.
The story is cute. The first pages show a passel of young mice in the kitchen getting ready for school. If you have the text version all you will see is the text: "School Time!"
**SPOILERS** **SPOILERS**
The following pages have all the little mice heading off to school with their books and backpacks... all but Bitty. And Bitty mouse doesn't like it at all. And so she sneaks out to follow her siblings. When she gets to school everyone is busy, but of course the teacher doesn't leave her outside. She enters and watches all the classroom activities. And when the teacher finds her getting restless, she asks Bitty to be her helper.
And Bitty does help, but while occupied the teacher calls mom to let her know what is going on. And by the time mom gets there, Bitty is tired and ready to go home.
**END OF SPOILERS**
Children will enjoy the cute artwork in this book and the fact that it has lots of mice! The simple sentences are there for practicing, but the original text-less use is still valid as it's great practice for youngsters to gather their thoughts and explain what they think is happening.
Source: Library
Given the vagaries of buying books there's no telling which version you will receive. But either is enjoyable, and for little ones they can still 'read' the book as it was intended --without text.
The story is cute. The first pages show a passel of young mice in the kitchen getting ready for school. If you have the text version all you will see is the text: "School Time!"
**SPOILERS** **SPOILERS**
The following pages have all the little mice heading off to school with their books and backpacks... all but Bitty. And Bitty mouse doesn't like it at all. And so she sneaks out to follow her siblings. When she gets to school everyone is busy, but of course the teacher doesn't leave her outside. She enters and watches all the classroom activities. And when the teacher finds her getting restless, she asks Bitty to be her helper.
And Bitty does help, but while occupied the teacher calls mom to let her know what is going on. And by the time mom gets there, Bitty is tired and ready to go home.
**END OF SPOILERS**
Children will enjoy the cute artwork in this book and the fact that it has lots of mice! The simple sentences are there for practicing, but the original text-less use is still valid as it's great practice for youngsters to gather their thoughts and explain what they think is happening.
Source: Library
September 29, 2016
Because of the story line that involves a sibling too young to attend school in addition to its straight forward series of events, this book is best for a pre-school audience. In a house with lots of (mouse) children, the youngest child is lonely and upset when his siblings leave for school each day, until one day when he decides to sneak out to visit their class. He finds his way to the elementary school and into their classroom, finding an open desk among his siblings and their peers. Their teacher eventually notices his presence and uses the young child to help teach; at the end of a long day at school, the little mouse falls asleep and goes back home with his mom, saying goodbye to his new friends. I thought the water color paintings in this book were very detailed, giving the reader a lot to notice on each page which helps maintain interest, as there are no words. The overall plot was very sweet and a relatable situation for many young children. I did, however, think that it may not be a very appropriate idea to feature such a dangerous behavior as some audience members might be drawn to attempt this. It could definitely be used in a pre-K classroom as a read aloud in which the students are asked to state everything they see on each page to help them formulate the story line. It could also be used, because of its simplicity, in a classroom library for younger students to look at during play time
June 23, 2010
This is the first of Emily Arnold McCully's books I've read that tells its story completely without the use of text. The author relies upon her splendid watercolor skills to portray for us the action as it occurs.
On a typical autumn morning, one little mouse watches her brothers and sisters head to school, but she is still too young to accompany them. The little mouse sneaks out, though, and finds her way to the school, where she sits in the back of the room. The little mouse finds that she doesn't yet know the factual things that her brothers and sisters know, but because of a kind teacher and friendly students her experience at school still turns out to be a good one. When her mother comes to retrieve her, the little mouse leaves knowing that she will soon be ready to attend school, herself.
School is a very basic story, but its simplicity suits the wordless narrative very well. It is a book that might be best used with pre-readers.
On a typical autumn morning, one little mouse watches her brothers and sisters head to school, but she is still too young to accompany them. The little mouse sneaks out, though, and finds her way to the school, where she sits in the back of the room. The little mouse finds that she doesn't yet know the factual things that her brothers and sisters know, but because of a kind teacher and friendly students her experience at school still turns out to be a good one. When her mother comes to retrieve her, the little mouse leaves knowing that she will soon be ready to attend school, herself.
School is a very basic story, but its simplicity suits the wordless narrative very well. It is a book that might be best used with pre-readers.
March 9, 2013
I did not like this book. The story seemed improbable to me and not something I'd want a child (i.e. my nieces) to read. I also was not impressed with the illustrations. To me they seemed unfinished and indistinct. And when I saw that this story was originally published without words, my thought was/is "how?" I don't see how this story could be understood without the direction of the accompanying text.
February 15, 2016
I chose "School" after reading another of McCully's wordless books in my children's literature class and being fascinated by the storytelling through colorful illustrations involving mice as the characters. The book does a good job of thoughtfully highlighting the frustrations a young child feels when older siblings head off to school and a parent leaves for work. I can remember being a five-year-old girl and longing for the day to arrive when I could join the ranks of the older kids at school. I love that the young mouse's mother in the book is so supportive of their child's passion to join in and learn as it is vitally important to instill a love of learning in children as early as possible. This book would be an excellent choice for a classroom teacher to incorporate into a creative writing lesson focused on the benefits and learning opportunities of the school experience.
July 24, 2009
Although this is a cute and nicely illustrated story about a little mouse who wants to join her siblings in school and so she wanders off and walks into the classroom, it kinda creeped me out. While it's fun and cute, it's just too scary for something like that to happen in real life. More likely, a parent would be more than just flustered - they'd be panicked. In addition, the child might even be taken away from the parent for neglect. So it really didn't resonate well with me. Instead, I used this as a teaching moment, for why our girls need to be with a responsible adult at all times, and what could happen if they wandered off.
February 25, 2014
I chose this book for a unit on "school" because it had earned the Caldecott Medal. The pictures in the book are cute, but not really spectacular in my opinion. The story itself seems to lose the kids and doesn't really serve a purpose. The picture storyline was much more appropriate for what I was looking for, so we used it as a reference for "things we do at school". I don't think I would use it again for this theme however.
January 12, 2012
McCully's autumn inspired watercolored illustrations tell a story of a little mouse going to school. Children will be able to relate to the rushed morning, being nervous to answer a teacher's question, and the joy of being read to.
Great book for sharing with children in preparation for the school year.
Great book for sharing with children in preparation for the school year.
February 8, 2012
This is a cute picture book about a little mouse who follows his/her siblings to school and has quite a busy day until Mommy comes to take him/her home. I looked at this with my five-year-old daughter, and she loved it. The pictures were really cute, especially the little faces, and I liked using the watch to set the main little mousie apart from the bigger mice.
December 3, 2013
This picture book would be great to set up an activity in the classroom. Each student could write their our words for the pages to go with the story. I would definitely recommend this book to teachers, especially Kindergarten and 1st grade teachers who are just beginning to introduce their students to writing.
February 23, 2015
I think this book would be better for preschool students that elementary but I know there may be some lower level reading students who can read something like this. I particularly like this book because I feel as if it gives a student the chance to make up their own story to go along with it. The illustrations are colorful and simple so I think younger children will love it the most.
September 26, 2018
Bitty is young to go to school, but she went anyway. She was the only one who didn't raise her hand and the teacher called on her. Children need attention and if they don't get it then they will look for it elsewhere. The pictures suggest that it is similar to classrooms that I've been in. Some students are very engaged, some have their heads down, and some talk to their friends during class.
December 7, 2011
This is a good book for young children because there aren't many words. The pictures pretty much tell the story. I thought the book was somewhat random, and there didn't seem to be a point to the story.
December 17, 2012
What a great book to help a child prepare for school, especially if the child is feeling anxious or concerned. This book makes school seem interesting and fun and full of adventure. Fun and easy to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews