bilbopooh's Full Review: Alyssa Satin Capucilli - Biscuit Goes to School
One of the recurring situations in the Peanuts comic strip is that Snoopy faithfully accompanies Charlie Brown and a group of other children at the bus stop every morning, but when he tries to get on the school bus he is kicked off because he is a dog - never mind that he is an exceptionally clever dog who, among other things, uses a typewriter on a regular basis. In Biscuit Goes to School, a My First I Can Read book written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrated by Pat Schories, adorable puppy Biscuit doesn't let school bus rules stop him. Instead, he finds his own way to the school and makes a surprise visit!
Like the other books in this series, this is very simply written, with a sentence or two on most pages. As always, Biscuit spends some of his time barking; here, it's more often one "Woof!" than two, perhaps because he's trying to be stealthy. He doesn't succeed so well, though, and it isn't long before almost everyone in the school is aware of his presence. One person who hasn't found out yet is the teacher of Biscuit's brown-haired, barrette-wearing little girl. How will he react to such an intrusion in his classroom?
I like the diversity of the children in the girl's class. There are representatives of three different races and a good mix of boys and girls. I also like the teacher, who looks more like a college professor to me, partly because he bears a resemblance to my dad (who is a college professor) with his facial hair and glasses, partly because in all my years of elementary school I only had one male teacher, and that was for music class and lasted only a year or two. I like Mr. Ratburn in the Arthur stories, and I similarly applaud this fellow for his willingness to devote his time to young children.
Most Biscuit books have other recurring sound effects besides Biscuit's barking. This one doesn't, but the word "Shhh!" is said at one point and could sum up a good chunk of the book, since there's a sense that Biscuit would be better off if he remained undetected. While most of the story takes place at school, there are glimpses of grenery at the pond and in the park, both of which have played a role in other Biscuit books.
As someone who always wanted to take my dog to school with me, I got a smile out of Biscuit Goes to School. As a simple, cute story or vindication for Snoopy, it's a tale that's a treat.
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