All Welcome Here by James Preller

All Welcome Here by James Preller

With gorgeous multimedia paintings-and-collages by acclaimed artist Mary GrandPre, James Preller's All Welcome Here promises to be an evergreen gift picture book for children about to take the big leap into their first days of school.

The bus door swishes
Open, an invitation.
Someone is not sure . . .

The first day of school and all its excitement, challenges, and yes, anxieties, are celebrated here in connected haiku poems. A diverse cast of characters all start--and finish--their first days of school, and have experiences that all children will relate to.

James Preller is the author of the popular Jigsaw Jones mystery books, which have sold more than 10 million copies since 1998. He is also the author of Bystander, named a 2009 Junior Library Guild Selection; Six Innings, an ALA Notable Book; and Mighty Casey, his own twist on the classic poem Casey at the Bat. In addition to writing full-time, Preller plays in a men's hardball league and coaches Little League. He compares coaching kids to trying to hold the attention of a herd of earthworms. He lives in Delmar, New York, with his wife, three children, cats and dog.

Greg Ruth lives and works in the landlocked woodlands of Western Massachusetts with his wife, Jen, and two boys, Emmett and Nathaniel, where he crafts graphic novels, children's picture books, and many other items to pass the long days not at sea. While he did indeed attend first grade, sadly, he was without pirate accompaniment. However, he has pondered a hook for his left hand (but only because he thinks they're really cool).