Mr. S

Monica Arnaldo was born in Ontario, Canada, where the trash cans are often filled with raccoons and half-eaten cheeseburgers (but seldom any glowing seeds). When she wasn’t drawing or reading, she spent much of her childhood pondering some of life’s great questions, such as “Can I pet that wild animal?” and “Why not?” She has since written and illustrated several picture books and moved to Quebec, where raccoons speak French.Monica Arnaldo was born in Ontario, Canada, where the trash cans are often filled with raccoons and half-eaten cheeseburgers (but seldom any glowing seeds). When she wasn’t drawing or reading, she spent much of her childhood pondering some of life’s great questions, such as “Can I pet that wild animal?” and “Why not?” She has since written and illustrated several picture books and moved to Quebec, where raccoons speak French.

“This might be the funniest first-day-of-school book I’ve ever read."  — Adam Rex, New York Times bestselling author of School’s First Day of School"Confusion, mystery, and laughs are on the menu in Arnaldo’s deliciously goofy back-to-school tale. Readers will find plenty to chuckle over." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)"The tale's genuinely absurd situation, the mystery of the teacher's identity, and the deadpan storytelling make this a memorable read-aloud choice. A genuinely funny story that teachers and parents will enjoy sharing with children." — Booklist (starred review)"Mysteries for young readers are few and far between and this one is fun and entertaining; it will elicit laughter and–plenty of discussion." — School Library Journal (starred review)"Everything about the narrative is playful, and readers will be sucked in by a seriously funny question: Can a sandwich be a teacher? Far from stale and ripe for repeating." — Kirkus Reviews"[T]his story gleefully leans into absurdity, with a dash of epistemological musings. Young skeptics will be surprised by the true identity of the teacher of room 2B in a twist that makes this a standout among first day of school titles. " — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s BooksPRAISE FOR ARE YOU A CHEESEBURGER?: “There’s a lot of profundity within these whimsical pages—about growing up, overcoming disappointment through acceptance, and valuing relationships over personal needs—which should plant some hearty seeds of conversation for readers of all ages.”  — Publishers Weekly“Emotionally authentic and sweet without being saccharine. Silly and heartwarming in equal measure.”  — Kirkus Reviews“Audiences will enjoy the clever banter between the new friends and the literal visual feast the illustrations offer up. Aspiring botanists and young foodies will appreciate this quirky little tale.”  — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books"Refreshingly novel for its unexpected duo of characters. Will amuse young listeners. A delightfully quirky tale about an uncommon pairing of characters that offers light humor and guileless dialogue as they learn to treasure their blossoming friendship."  — School Library Journal“This is a sweet tale of slow-blossoming friendship and unconditional acceptance, of celebrating differences and being gentle with others. Highly original and excellent… the illustrations present delightful layers of imaginative, whimsical joy.”  — Booklist