Synopsis: Parents, teachers — a little introspection please — How effective is reverse psychology really? Christina Geist and Tim Bowers employ this strategy in their book, Sorry, Grown-ups, You Can’t Go To School! Lady’s and Buddy’s parents, grandparents and pet go to great lengths, with their fancy paraphernalia, to drive home the point that school is for kids and teachers. Listeners will enjoy chanting along with Lady and Buddy… You can’t go to school! Only kids and teachers! Only kids and teachers! Resigned to their own station, the parents and grandparents finally drop Lady and Buddy off at school. Bowers’ use of thought bubbles throughout the story aptly and intriguingly portray the myriad of activities offered at school. The vivid emotions etched on the characters’ faces leave no room for doubt as to how everyone is feeling throughout the tale. Geist adds the perfect non-sequitur at the end of the story when Lady and Buddy wave goodbye to their parents with the salutation, Don’t forget —tomorrow we get to go to work with you!
Teacher’s Thoughts: This is an excellent read aloud for active engagement, role-play, brainstorming, and discussions about students’ preferred parts of the school day, emotions, and responses to art and art techniques.
Kindergartners said:
“I know about that, sometimes my mom and dad try to get me to do things, but I don’t if I don’t want to.”
“ My mom got a new bag for her work and I got a new unicorn backpack for school. Mine is silver and pink and gold and my mom got a blue one.”
“Grownups can go to school too, but they go to their own kind of universal [university].” 😄
“My grandma’s dog is a corgi and she has a sweater for when she goes out for a walk in the winter.”
