One day, Mr. Keene called all the students and teacherstogether and said, "This is a fine, fine school From now on, let'shave school on Saturdays too."And then there was more. School allweekend. School on the holidays. School in the SUMMER What was next...SCHOOL AT NIGHT?So it's up to Tillie to show herwell-intentioned principal, Mr. Keene, that even though his fine,fine school is a wonderful place, it's not fine, fine to be thereall the time. Newbery Medal-winning author Sharon Creech andcelebrated "New Yorker" cartoonist Harry Bliss team up in thischarming and hilarious book about what happens when the love oflearning goes a bit too far.

Kindergarten-Grade 2-Principal Keene is proud of his school. "'Oh!'he would say. 'Aren't these fine children? Aren't these fineteachers? Isn't this a fine, fine school?'" He becomes so enamoredof the learning he sees taking place that he decides there shouldbe more. First he schedules school on Saturdays, then Sundays, thenholidays, and finally throughout the summer. With each addition,readers are told, "The teachers and the students did not want to goto school [on Sundays, holidays, etc.], but no one knew how to tellMr. Keene that." Finally, young Tillie confronts him and explainsthat not everyone is learning-there are little brothers who can'tskip and dogs that can't sit-and she herself cannot climb her tree.The principal finally realizes that there are certain kinds oflearning that take place outside the classroom and the normalschedule is resumed. Creech's telling of this implausible parableis repetitive and not particularly energetic, but Bliss's colorfulcartoon illustrations take up the slack with their sly humor andmeticulous attention to detail. Children are pictured withbackpacks labeled "wide load," and plastered with Post-it notesreading "massive test on your birthday" and "power nap at 2 pm." Inthis day of the over-scheduled and hurried child, this book couldbe a good impetus for a discussion of the value of stopping tosmell the roses.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.