Picture Day Jitters

By: Julie Danneberg / Illustrated by: Judy Love We have to look our best! The class photo is scheduled for the end of the day—can everyone's favorite teacher, Sarah Jane Hartwell, keep them looking neat and tidy? She has the jitters again! Mrs. Hartwell is determined to keep her students looking perfect for their school pictures. This means no chalk at recess, no experiments during science, and eating lunch in the classroom instead of the cafeteria. Bo-ring! By the end of the day, the students look their best, but their smiles are missing. Mrs. Hartwell lets them cut loose after their individual photos are taken, forgetting that the class photo is still to come! If you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: The Jitters Series [TABS] Look Inside Downloadables Download the Cover Download the Series Activity Kit Author & Illustrator Julie Danneberg, author Julie Danneberg is the author of John Muir Wrestles a Waterfall, Monet Paints a Day, and Family Reminders, as well as the best-selling Jitters Series. She is a retired middle-school teacher. Read more about Julie. Judy Love, illustrator Judy Love is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design and has illustrated numerous children's books, including First Day Jitters and Last Day Blues by Julie Danneberg. She lives near Charlotte, North Carolina, with her family. Read more about Judy. Awards & Honors Coming soon! Editorial Reviews Kirkus Reviews A tradition as familiar as the first day of school. Mrs. Hartwell’s elementary class has come dressed to the nines for class-picture day. The only problem? Photographs won’t be taken until the end of the day, so everyone has to stay neat and tidy until then. Throughout the day, the students are tremendously careful, and their routine goes relatively smoothly—except when a tomato explodes on a student; the pencil sharpener breaks, spilling shavings all over another student; and everyone cleans up the classroom at the end of the day. Each time there’s a mishap, Mrs. Hartwell reassures the kids with a “Don’t worry, I can fix it.” When it is finally time for pictures, the students look smart and neat in their individual photos. Relieved, they run off to play—and make a mess—before convening for a photo of the whole class, in which everyone looks rumpled and disorganized. But, says Mrs. Hartwell when they finally see the photo, “You’re picture-perfect just the way you are!” This latest series installment is as much about Mrs. Hartwell as it is about her students, reminding readers that all classrooms have their own symbiosis. Educators will find this book all too relatable, while children will laugh at the fun Mrs. Hartwell’s class has together. Love’s watercolor illustrations are marvelously detailed and look almost like photographs themselves. Mrs. Hartwell is light-skinned; her class is diverse. A class abuzz on a special day! Children's Literature Mrs. Hartwell and her students return with another school day episode, picture day. Everyone is dressed and ready for getting their school picture taken; however, the class is last one on the photo schedule. Translation: a long day for the class to stay picture-perfect. Although Mrs. Hartwell plans on have a neat and clean day by taking preventative measures, unintended incidents occur during the seemingly, extra long day. Mrs. Hartwell is busy fixing the situations as mishaps occur. The illustrations add humor to the story. The facial expressions in response to the messy, unintended incidents and the kindness of Mrs. Hartwell as she fixes the situation are captured. The story has an endearing ending that will also bring a chuckle or two. Teachers may want to share this story with their students before picture day at school. Readers may want to look for other books in The Jitters series which are about Mrs. Hartwell and her class and the amusing things that occur during different school events during the school year. Details Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-62354-157-6 Paperback ISBN: 978-1-62354-387-7 E-book ISBN: 978-1-63289-941-5 Ages: 5-8 Page count: 32 8 x 10 [/TABS]