A New School for Charlie

by Courtney Dicmas, Courtney Dicmas (Illustrator)

Overview

Charlie is excited about his first day at a new school, but when he gets there, he finds it full of cats! The difference is quite a shock for Charlie, who isn’t sure how to cope. How can he make new friends? He may find the answer he’s looking for in the library...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786283412
Publisher:	Child's Play-International
Publication date:	05/15/2020
Series:	Child's Play Library
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.88(w) x 9.88(h) x 0.25(d)
Age Range:	2 - 6 Years

Editorial Reviews

2020-05-17
Being the new kid can be hard, especially when you’re different.

Charlie, an exuberant golden retriever–esque dog, loves school and eagerly looks forward to his first day. But at Catford Primary, where he is the only dog among a sea of cats, things are very different from his old school. Charlie isn’t sure which bathroom to use or where his classroom is, and the classes (string theory?) go poorly. Playtime isn’t any better (apparently cats don’t like their butts sniffed). Charlie sulks at home that night, mystified that a dog with so many friendship awards could have failed to make a single new buddy. But the Dog to Cat Dictionary he finds in the school library may hold the key. Eventually, Charlie isn’t the only one making changes to gain new friends; the cats and dog are shown digging holes and playing with sticks during playtime. Dicmas charmingly captures the personality differences between cats and dogs; the former aloof and territorial, the latter excitable and outgoing. Readers may need to get used to Charlie’s off-kilter face, with one eyeball bulging in three-quarter view. For readers in Charlie’s position, it’s disappointing to see that not a single feline at Catford, neither student nor teacher, makes any overtures to Charlie until he works to learn their language. As both encouragement for ELL students and model for their classmates, it pales in comparison to Aidan Cassie’s The Word for Friend (2020).

This dog’s enthusiasm is catching, but the message is murky. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews