Giant-Sized Butterflies on My First Day of School

Find out how butterflies in your tummy are a good thing in this fresh take on being nervous for the first day of school.

When a little girl wakes up on the first day of school, the butterflies in her stomach feel positively giant-sized! She really wants her mom to stay with her, on this first day.
As she and her mom make their way to school, Mom explains how the butterflies are a good thing. Everyone gets them (including parents) and they are a sign of something exciting happening--that we're about to learn and grow from a new experience and they can help us through it.
So with the butterflies as her guide, the girl soars into her first day.
Beloved children's songwriter Justin Roberts brings one of his most popular songs to the page, alongside beautifully tender illustrations by Paola Escobar, in a story guaranteed to help readers of all ages reframe their first-day nerves as first-day excitement.

Author: Justin Roberts
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Published: 05/30/2023
Pages: 32
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.83lbs
Size: 10.55h x 8.58w x 0.32d
ISBN: 9780525516439
Audience: Ages 4-8


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 03/15/2023
Publishers Weekly 06/26/2023
School Library Journal 08/01/2023 pg. 74
BookPage 08/01/2023

About the Author
Justin Roberts, four-time Grammy nominee, has been called "the Judy Blume of Kiddie Rock" by The New York Times, and USA Today says he's "hands down the best songwriter in the genre." He has also been praised for his deft and heartfelt lyrics by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, People Magazine, and the Los Angeles Times. He is also the author of The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade, illustrated by Christian Robinson, and I'll Be Your Polar Bear, illustrated by Chuck Groenink. Justin lives near Chicago with his family.

Paola Escobar is a a graphic designer and illustrator from Colombia.

As a child she loved drawing the stories told by her grandmother about their family and culture and it was her dream to become an illustrator for children's books.

She is the illustrator of the award-winning picture book Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré as well as many other critically-acclaimed picture books. She has worked with publishers across the world and is proud to have illustrated stories that celebrate cultural diversity and champion unsung heroes.

Paola lives very happily in Bogotá, Colombia, with her husband and their dog, Flora.