Your School is the Best! by Maggie Hutchins and illustrated by Felicita Sala draws the reader from the very beginning of this story (including the endpapers) into the vibrancy, colour, diversity, rich experiences, fun, friendship and adventure that children enjoy in a primary school setting. This story is told from the point of view of an adventurous, optimistic fun-loving cockroach who sees the positive in every situation. The cockroaches are eternal optimists who display positive mindsets and overcome obstacles with ingenuity and creative problem solving.
In this story, the quick thinking and innovative cockroach works together with the extended cockroach family to hitch a ride to school. Once in the classroom the cockroaches delight in all the fun and learning the children are experiencing – show and tell, reading, observing science experiments, problem solving, play, art and games in the lunch breaks. The classroom environment presents so many exciting and irresistible opportunities for the cockroaches to explore with the intention of delighting and entertaining all of the class. They see all their interactions, activities and experiences as positive and rewarding, however the illustrations tell a very different story. It is fascinating to “read” the two alternative stories (one contained in the text and another in the illustrations) and the very different emotions and reactions experienced by the cockroaches and the class members.
The delightful and lively illustrations are brimming with details and bring to life the connections between the cockroaches and class members. The illustrations are a gateway to discussing the many and varied experiences school has to offer. These are illustrations to savour as there are many stories to unpack within them.
This book marks the second adventure for this cockroach and family, with the first being in the picture book, ‘Your Birthday was the Best!’ an Honour Book for the 2021 CBCA Awards Book of the Year for Picture Books.
These entertaining and memorable cockroaches will have readers laughing out loud at their adventures (or should I say misadventures) and actually act as helpful tour guides for younger children who may be curious about what experiences they might expect at school as the cockroaches indulge in many experiences typical of a school day.