Review - Late for School!

Late for School!
by Stephanie Calmenson
illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa
Date: 2008
Publisher: Carolrhoda Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

Oh no! Mr. Bungles has overslept and he’s going to be late for school. Teachers aren’t supposed to be late! Poor Mr. Bungles tries rushing off in his car, the train, and even a hot air balloon, but nothing works. The clock is still ticking. What will he try next?

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I picked this one up at the library without having read the synopsis... and then spent a little too much time wondering why the kid on the cover had a mustache! (He's actually the teacher.)

This is a rhyming picture book about a teacher who's going to be late for school, breaking his own rule. First his car won't start. Then the train leaves without him. The bus is too full... On and on it goes, and the teacher gets later and later. When he finally does make it to school, he realizes that maybe his own rule ("never, ever, ever be late for school") might need a little tweaking.

There are a couple of things that bothered me about this. First, I wonder how many kids have been punished for breaking that inflexible rule before the teacher realized it was unrealistic. It's nice that he learned his lesson, but I hate to think that anyone got punished for tardiness before he learned it. Sometimes lateness just can't be helped. Second, after missing the train and the bus, the teacher climbs into the back of a random van. That's such a scary thing to be teaching kids that I don't even know where to begin.

The rhymes are okay, and the pictures are bright and funny, full of colour and whimsical characters. But I'm not sure if the story really hit the mark for me. The issues I mentioned above kind of ruined my enjoyment of the story.

I hope the teacher at least offered an apology to all the kids he's previously put in detention for tardiness.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 2/5

Enjoyment: 2/5

Overall: 2.57 out of 5