Back to School with Bigfoot

May 15, 2017
Bigfoot has a giant case of back-to-school jitters in this comedy about facing everyday fears. Berger (Crankenstein) and Brockenbrough (The Dinosaur Tooth Fairy) cleverly transfer the familiar anxieties of school-bound kids to their hairy hero. Shopping for clothes is a particular challenge for this “extra-extra-large” creature (“You Rip, You Buy,” warns a dressing-room sign), and Bigfoot’s fur makes getting a haircut an ordeal, too. Pressler, in his first children’s book, places Bigfoot in numerous slapstick scenarios, which are all the funnier since all of his classmates are human. But worries seem less monstrous when he starts remembering all the fun things that come with school, including playtime and art projects with friends. As fear gives way to FOMO, Bigfoot proudly stomps off to school—a reassuring model for kids big and small. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: (for Berger) Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates; (for Brockenbrough) Sarah Davies, Greenhouse Literary.

June 1, 2017
Bigfoot's body and feet may be larger than most, but his worries, though they feel monumental to him, will be familiar to grade schoolers. Sure, back-to-school shopping for Bigfoot is a royal pain. Even the big-and-tall store doesn't have clothes that fit, and forget about buying shoes in a regular store--and a haircut takes the entire day when you are covered in the stuff. But his what-ifs will not be new to kids: what if the bus doesn't stop for him? What if he makes a mistake at lunch? His imaginative scenarios are enough for him to quit school before it even starts. But then he thinks of all the things about school he would miss--the best teacher in school, studying mythological creatures, his friends--and some positive possibilities: a field trip, art projects. It's enough to change his mind again, and the last page sees Bigfoot and his much-smaller friends entering the school. Pressler's seemingly digital illustrations will have readers in stitches as they see Bigfoot in the dressing room in his orange-and-pink polka-dot undies or watch as a kid almost drowns in all the hair on the floor at the barber shop. And for cryptozoology-savvy adults, there's the page about Bigfoot's school-picture-day worry: "What if I can't stand still for class pictures? AGAIN!" Nicely juxtaposes the negative what-ifs with a great list of positives and just may lead nervous readers to do the same. (Picture book. 4-7)

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August 1, 2017

K-Gr 2-No one has bigger back-to-school jitters than Bigfoot. In this humorous first-person narrative, Bigfoot explains how everything is bigger for him: shopping for extra-extra large clothing, a haircut that takes all day, and don't even get him started on shoe shopping (he is Bigfoot, after all). Berger and Brockenbrough aim to make returning to school no big deal at all, especially after Bigfoot realizes that if he doesn't go back to school, he'll miss out on having the best teacher ever, doing enormous art projects, going on field trips, and, most important, he'll miss seeing all of his friends. The text includes some helpful reminders about school, but Bigfoot, with his extra-large concerns, is the appeal of this silly story. Pressler's digitally rendered pen and ink illustrations are lively, amusing, and packed with entertaining details, and feature a diverse classroom. VERDICT Great for the classroom, storytime, or one-on-one sharing for anyone with anxiety about starting school. Pair with Adam Rex's School's First Day of School for some fun, unexpected first-day-of-school comic relief.-Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ

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