Rocket's 100th Day of School

October 15, 2014
Rocket, the dog of reading fame, spends the first few months of school collecting 100 "special things," but when the 100th day of school finally arrives, five are missing. Rocket's items are varied and reflect his friends, the changing season and his own interests: acorns, the letters of the alphabet, a few of Owl's feathers, heart-shaped rocks, sticks shaped like numbers, pine cones, pencils, etc. Bella the squirrel kindly allows Rocket to stow all these items in her hole in a tree. But when he comes to collect them again, five things are missing...five acorns. The squirrel tries to avoid questions about the missing acorns. "The what?...Acorns?" In a hysterical double-page spread that beautifully captures the confession of a compulsion, the squirrel, head flung back, paws thrown wide, shouts, "YES! I ATE THEM!...I LOVE ACORNS SO MUCH!" A page turn shows a sad Rocket and a remorseful Bella. But the clever dog is not stymied for long. Luckily, he has four old friends and a new (and forgiven) friend in Bella, making the requisite 100. A large font, short sentences and white background behind large, simple illustrations help readers decode words, just like their favorite reading dog. Rocket's fans will enjoy practicing their skills and their own countdowns to (and collections for) Day 100. (Early reader. 5-8)

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November 1, 2014

K-Gr 2-Rocket's engaging personality shines through once again in this beginning reader. Just as in the original picture books, the pup's adventures focus on his positive dealings with his animal companions and, of course, his insatiable enthusiasm for learning. This story revolves around the traditional school celebration of the 100th Day. Like many kindergarten and first-grade students, Rocket is collecting assorted objects to equal the important number. On the big day, however, he discovers that Bella, a squirrel, has eaten five acorns. Ingeniously, Rocket settles on a plan to make up for the shortfall. He and his four pals will become part of the collection, bringing the count to 99, and adding their new friend Bella will equal 100. Sweet and satisfying, this story has suitably spare text and pictures that ooze with charm.-Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2014
Grades K-1 In the fifth book about Rocket, we discover him searching for 100 things for the one hundredth day of school. He gets help from five friends, including Bella the squirrel, who allows him to store his treasures in her nest. Some of the unusual objects that Rocket and his friends obtain for his stash include heart-shaped stones, sticks in numerical numbers, alphabet letters that Rocket makes himself, as well as words he writes. When the one hundredth day arrives, Rocket adds up the number of items in his stash and finds it five items short. What happened to the five acorns? Rocket's quick and flexible solution provides a satisfying end to a charming early reader. The simple text uses short sentences, repetition, and illustrations that support the emerging reader when more difficult words are introduced. Pair this with 100th Day Worries, by Margery Cuyler, and Emily's First 100 Days of School, by Rosemary Wells (both 2000).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)