Butterflies on the First Day of School

PreS-Gr 2–What happens to all those butterflies in your stomach? Rosie is excited and ready for her first day of school. She picked out her backpack over a month ago, decorated it herself, and even practiced raising her hand at home. However, the night before the first day, she cannot sleep. The next morning her belly hurts and she cannot even eat her breakfast. Her mother reassures her, “You just have butterflies in your belly” and hugs her tight. Once on the bus, she quickly makes a new friend, and a butterfly flies out while she’s talking. Her new friend doesn’t seem to notice, and as they continue to talk, more butterflies flutter out. Throughout the day, the butterflies, unnoticed by everyone else, fly out of her mouth. Rosie’s belly begins to feel much better. At recess, she even helps a fellow student get a butterfly out of her belly by saying hello. Rosie’s mom has a butterfly of her own fly out once she realizes that Rosie had a great first day. The mixed-media illustrations match the text well, and the bright colors fit the story’s theme well.