Sammy and Sunny's First Day of School

Nina LaCour, Elizabeth Lilly

$32.99

Hardback

In stock
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English

Penguin
21 October 2025

Children's & Educational; Picture books; Early learning: first experiences; School stories (Children's&YA)

An adorable and reassuring book for kids who are starting school for the first time, and a funny look at the similarities and differences between kindergarten and doggie daycare

An adorable and reassuring book for kids who are starting school for the first time, and a funny look at the similarities and differences between kindergarten and doggie daycare

It's the first day of kid school for Sammy and the first day of puppy school for Sunny. They both feel nervous, but they end up having a great time-- making friends, playing and napping, and learning all sorts of new things.

That afternoon, they tell Mom and each other all about day one, Sammy with words and Sunny in his own special way. But what will happen on day two? Sammy wonders. And readers are in for a very funny surprise!

By: Nina LaCour
Illustrated by: Elizabeth Lilly
Imprint: Penguin
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 222mm, Width: 278mm, Spine: 8mm
Weight: 386g
ISBN: 9780593695753
ISBN 10: 0593695755
Pages: 40
Publication Date: 21 October 2025
Recommended Age: From 3 to 6 years
Audience: Children/juvenile , English as a second language
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Nina LaCour is the bestselling and Michael L. Printz Award-winning author of picture books, chapter books, young adult novels, and adult literary fiction. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Nina received her undergraduate degree from San Francisco State University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Her graduate thesis became her first novel, Hold Still, which received a William C. Morris Honor, and her novel We Are Okay was named one of TIME Magazine's Top 100 YA Novels of All Time. She loves cooking, gardening, and daytripping through the ever-inspiring regions of Northern California with her wife and their daughter. She lives in San Francisco. Elizabeth Lilly (she/her) is an author, illustrator, animator, and educator. Her work has won many distinctions, including starred reviews in major publications, a Charlotte Zolotow Honor, an ALA Notable Book, and the Publishers Weekly list of the Best Picture Books of 2021. When she's not creating stories, she teaches illustration, animation, and drawing as an adjunct professor and lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her partner and pet dog, Ponyo.

Reviews for Sammy and Sunny's First Day of School

""This fun story of two companions attending school for the first time helps to ease anxious minds of both the human and canine varieties. Watercolor illustrations with clear lines give the text a child-like quality while presenting enough detail to emphasize the emotions and elements specific to each interaction. Fun and unexpected, this charming back-to-school book lovingly supports children who are preparing for their first day of school."" —School Library Journal ""The bright, upbeat watercolor art abounds in movement and friendly faces all around. The universality of the first day of school transcends species in this gentle aid for newbies."" —Kirkus ""Beat-by-beat text from LaCour and crisp watercolor-washed ink drawings by Lilly depict lessons and routines that are relatively easy to embrace. Gentle developmental parallels offer a measure of sweetly comic reassurance for first-day jitters."" —Publishers Weekly