This school-themed read, featuring an animal cast, uses the format of previous You Are My . . . titles (You Are My I Love You, 2001). Narrated by the teacher a plaid-skirted elephant with matching hair bow the rhyming stanzas highlight the child-teacher relationship and varying activities through the school day, including art ( I am your glue; you are my Popsicle stick ); playtime ( I am your duck, duck, goose; you are my chase ); and responsibilities ( I am your blackboard; you are my clean eraser ). Charming, realistically detailed watercolor illustrations depict expressive, plush-toy-like animal children bears, a giraffe, a rabbit in familiar settings, including a cheerful, cluttered classroom. Some scenarios may be somewhat esoteric for little ones (for instance, I am your tall; you are my grow. I am your tell; you are my show ), but the teacher's affection for her students is evident, as is the students' enjoyment and engagement in the activities. A friendly, reassuring picture book.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2010 Booklist

More like Love's second book (You Are My Miracle, 2005) than her first (You Are My I Love You, 2001) in the You Are My series, this fourth, school-themed one falls flat, especially since most of its intended audience does not yet attend school. "I am your teacher; / you are my school child. // I am your welcome; / you are my running wild." And so a new group of students gets to know their teacher, a kindly gray elephant who ushers them through their first day of school. Ichikawa's weather nicely echoes the feelings that accompany those new to school--the rainy day giving way to lovely sunshine that allows the class to get outside. Her stuffed-animal students are a bit of a tougher read, as their facial expressions and body positions are stiffer than the usual anthropomorphized-animal picture-book fare. From music, show-and-tell and crafts to storytime, lining up and getting ready to go home, all the standard markers of school are hereexcept for metaphors that are meaningful to children. While many kids will not have trouble understanding that they are the "double-quick" to their teacher's "go slow," few will glean meaning from being a "Popsicle stick" to her "glue." And while each of the rhyming verses flows on its own, together, the inconsistent rhythms and sometimes-forced rhymes make for an uneven read-aloud. Those nervous about attending school for the first time will not find much comfort here, though teachers might like the sentiment. (Picture book. 3-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

PreS-K-Love and Ichikawa explore the relationship between a teacher and her students. A bevy of stuffed-animal children runs into school and is greeted with: "I am your teacher;/you are my school child./I am your welcome;/you are my running wild." The often sentimental, occasionally silly rhyming text conveys that wisdom is imparted from teacher to student-"I am your story;/you are my wide eyes./I am your lesson;/you are my surprise"-accompanied by great affection and youthful exuberance. Some couplets are more successful than others, and many suggest an adult sensibility that may be lost on young children. The charming watercolor illustrations with their ample use of white space and rich palette have plenty of child appeal. The text might spark discussion between adult readers and child listeners and there is certainly much to pore over and enjoy in the illustrations.-Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.