ALA Booklist

Mouse, last seen in Mouse's First Valentine (2001), returns in this sunny introduction to the classroom. One bright morning, Mouse slips into a backpack that takes him to school. Short sentences describe the wonders he finds--the blocks, puzzles, books, snacks, and, finally, friends. Thompson's text nearly gallops with repetitive rhythm and delicious sounds: Vrim, vrum, vroom a car! Thump, boom, bump a drum! And Erdogan's bright acrylics show all the objects close-up from Mouse's perspective. The square format is nicely sized for small hands, and emerging readers will enjoy puzzling out familiar words and letters in the large, bold text. A bouncy, appealing read-aloud for soothing apprehensive day care and preschool jitters.

Horn Book

Thompson describes what Mouse finds when he rides to school in a backpack: "Squiggle, scribble, dot crayons! / Ssip, slurp, crunch snacks!" and children, of course--"Wiggly, giggly, best of all friends!" Illustrations in glowing colors provide appealing close-ups of Mouse and his discoveries; the toe of a sneaker, for example, takes up most of one page.

Kirkus Reviews

<p>Mouse gets an education in this spirited offering from Thompson and Erdogan, the fourth in the series of firsts that started out with Mouse's First Christmas (1999). Here, the curious rodent hops a ride in a back pack and ends up in a classroom full of fun, learning materials. First he finds blocks, then a toy car ("Vrim, vrum, vroom") and tubes of paint. When he happens upon "squiggle, scribble, dot crayons," Mouse marches across the page carrying a yellow crayon as big as he is. The placement of text on the page mimics Mouse's movement. This is an enjoyable jaunta"Erdogan's rich, saturated palette is as inviting as ever and Thompson's distillation of the first-day-of-school experience will ease the nerves of antsy young ones. (Picture book. 2-6)</p>

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Lauren Thompson and Buket Erdogan continue their Mouse's First series with Mouse's First Day of School. Mouse hides in a child's backpack and discovers all the fun to be had in a kindergarten classroom full of books, paints, blocks and more. The very simple text and exuberant illustrations may help to alleviate some brand-new students' jitters.

School Library Journal

PreS-K-This is a new "first" for mouse as he hides in a backpack and gleefully emerges into the brave new world of preschool. As in Mouse's First Halloween (2000), Mouse's First Valentine (2002), and Mouse's First Christmas (1999, all S & S), Thompson and Erdogan have created a spirited landscape of simple text overlaying vividly colored, richly textured, mouse-sized scenes of kid-familiar objects. The creature frolics among an assortment of childhood icons, from blocks and a toy car to tubes of paint and a juice box and snacks. Expressive and playful text with phrases such as "Thump, boom, bump a drum"; "Blinky, cuddly, curly dolls"; and "Squiggle, scribble, dot crayons" adds a bouncy beat. The concluding chalked message, "Welcome to school, Mouse!" will have young listeners eagerly anticipating their own first day.-Mary Ann Carcich, Hampton Bays Public Library, NY Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.