First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg (2000) caught me by surprise, I’m happy to say. I should have seen the hilarious ending coming, but I didn’t. I fell for the traditional expectation all the way to the end. Judy Love’s illustrations perfectly complemented the humorous text. A passionate family dog contrasts with the severe family cat. The persistent, demanding, yet encouraging father succeeds in getting a reluctant female out of bed, dressed, fed, and transported to school. No, I can’t reveal the ending. Hopefully, you’ll laugh out loud too.
