Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Ring the bell! A class of anthropomorphized animals assembles for their first day of school.At Hazelwood Elementary, Mr. Wolf, the new fourth-grade teacher, is looking forward to meeting his class. As the buses roll in and the children arrive, he meets new student Margot, a tawny rabbit; Aziza, a violet duck in a hijab; Penny, a sleepy, apricot-colored pig; and Sampson, a lime-green frog with a beloved shell collection; and more. The narrative lens bounces cheerily around the classroom, from various students to their teacher, encompassing authentic elementary school experiences including embarrassing bathroom moments, cutting in line, silly fart jokes, purloined classroom items, and playground shenanigans. Steinke's character-driven graphic offering pays keen attention to its cheerfully colored denizens, keeping them centered in his cleanly rendered panels and utilizing close-ups to highlight emotion and expression. Young readers should easily self-identify with fifth-grade teacher Steinke's varied and sharply observed characters and wryly perceived classroom minutiae. Although none of the notably diverse characters are explored with any great depth, they are all given enough attention to be memorable, creating anticipation for further meetings in this promising new series.This class gets an A. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

ALA Booklist (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

It's the first day of school at Hazelwood Elementary, specifically in new teacher Mr. Wolf's fourth-grade classroom. We stick with the anthropomorphized animal teachers and students from Mr. Wolf's classroom all the way through end-of-the-day cleanup and the students' bus ride home, witnessing charmingly familiar moments along the way: Sampson has to go to the bathroom REALLY badly, Aziza has a hard time showing her work at math, Randy takes a survey on whether people prefer ice cream or farts, and new student Margot makes a good friend on the way home. Credibly, students are by turns playful, thoughtless, rude, and kind, and readers even get a glimpse into the ups and downs of a teacher's day, especially when the exhausted Penny falls asleep in a library box and disappears until recess. With calm intelligence and amusing, accessible realism, Steinke creates a cast in which any young reader will immediately find someone to embrace and a world that's invitingly recognizable. Friendly figures and compositions that favor flow over flash make the cartooning equally inviting.

Horn Book (Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

This graphic novel portrays the first day of school in a woodland town inhabited by anthropomorphized animals. The narrative follows new teacher Mr. Wolf's fourth-grade class and cheerfully depicts each character with care and depth. Internal dialogue and visual gags extend the story and provide levity. Soft-hued colors and loose, unpretentious lines focus attention on characters' expressions. Solid fills of background color emphasize moments of classroom action and child-friendly humor.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Ring the bell! A class of anthropomorphized animals assembles for their first day of school.At Hazelwood Elementary, Mr. Wolf, the new fourth-grade teacher, is looking forward to meeting his class. As the buses roll in and the children arrive, he meets new student Margot, a tawny rabbit; Aziza, a violet duck in a hijab; Penny, a sleepy, apricot-colored pig; and Sampson, a lime-green frog with a beloved shell collection; and more. The narrative lens bounces cheerily around the classroom, from various students to their teacher, encompassing authentic elementary school experiences including embarrassing bathroom moments, cutting in line, silly fart jokes, purloined classroom items, and playground shenanigans. Steinke's character-driven graphic offering pays keen attention to its cheerfully colored denizens, keeping them centered in his cleanly rendered panels and utilizing close-ups to highlight emotion and expression. Young readers should easily self-identify with fifth-grade teacher Steinke's varied and sharply observed characters and wryly perceived classroom minutiae. Although none of the notably diverse characters are explored with any great depth, they are all given enough attention to be memorable, creating anticipation for further meetings in this promising new series.This class gets an A. (Graphic fantasy. 6-10)

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

Readers of this congenial graphic novel by Eisner Award-winning Steinke (The Zoo Box) will settle right into Mr. Wolf-s classroom as the new teacher and his animal students get to know each other. Steinke-s panel artwork presents multiple points of view, juggling Mr. Wolf-s anxiousness to have the first day go right with his student Penny-s disappearance (kept up all night by her family-s new baby, she falls asleep in a box in the library), the grouchy responses of Aziza (a duck who appears to be on the autism spectrum), and the fast friendship that grows between Sampson and Margaret as they sit together on the bus. The animals are drawn in clear lines and full color with just enough detail to make each one an individual. Classroom jargon adds to the genuine flavor (-Level-one voices in the hallway!- Mr. Wolf calls); all of it will be familiar to students of suburban American schools. Without big highs and lows-the only suspense is whether they-ll find Penny or not-the story offers calming reading during spare moments waiting for practice to be over, or for the bus to come. Ages 7-10. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary Management. (June)

School Library Journal (Tue May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

Gr 2-5 Life in Mr. Wolf's fourth grade classroom is ever changing. Feeling pleased with himself one moment and on the verge of panic the next, Mr. Wolf maintains composure while keeping up with the schedule and dealing with one particularly alarming event. This first book in a new series, based on the author's webcomic, is funny and appealing. Steinke adds hilarity to typical classroom scenarios: rats run away with lunches, and a student asks, "Which do you like betterice cream or farts?" Children will identify with the distinctly rendered, expressive students. The images are simple and easily understood. With basic dialogue, a soothing setting, and no more than six frames per page, this book is ideal for new chapter book readers and older struggling readers. VERDICT A popular pick for public and elementary schools. Kids will anxiously await the next funny adventure at Hazelwood Elementary. Gaye Hinchliff, King County Library System, WA