Synopsis:It's the first day back at school for four very different children. Lee, Lloyd, Billy and Angela are expecting just an ordinary day, but all that changes when MARTIN zooms in from outer space. Join Lee, Lloyd, Billy, Angela and Martin for a first day of term that's out of this world.

Review: Most people may remember the first day at school. It’s a fairly serious watershed and Lee, Lloyd, Billy and Angela seem a little weighed down by the occasion. Angela is actually crying and they all feel different from the other children. All their fears are swept away when Martin appears. He couldn’t be more different but identity doesn’t bother him. He’s top of the class straight away and completely unselfconscious. Everyone forgets their own fragilities –they’re too busy watching Martin. What ever will he do next?

This is an ideal book to share with children who may recently have started school. Its cleverly designed so that we’re never quite sure where the words are going to appear on the page and what font they will appear in but they follow conventional directionality. Neal Layton draws children with big open faces with little detail, rather like children’s own drawings, but manages to capture their expressions so that we’re confident we know exactly how they’re feeling. He cleverly creates his own fonts for example chalking words on the teacher's blackboard or making huge capital letters out of bricks when Martin crashes into the classroom. This could support children’s interest in words and how they are written.

There are obvious opportunities to link this book with PSHE and Citizenship in KS1 and personal social and personal, social and emotional development in Foundation Stage.

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2007-08-28