Late for School

I liked this book for two reasons: the language and the illustrations. The author uses rhyme to move the story along. The rhymes never seem forced and employ varied vocabulary such as “Promised my Dad I won’t be late, So gotta accelerate,” or “Down the hall I ricochet, Trophy cases in the way.” The author also uses onomatopoeia to add hilarity to the story such as “Tally-ho.” I thought the language gave the book a steady flow that encouraged the reader to keep going.

The illustrations showed exaggerated facial expressions. The little boy is always falling or tripping and the illustrations depict different facial gestures. While he jumps into the pool, his bottom lip juts out and his eyes cross. When he falls out the front show more door, the boy’s mouth makes an “O” and his arms flail. His parents look depressed and their faces are crumpled with tears. I think the amplified facial expressions lend amusement to the story. I liked how they conveyed a sense of mirth.

The big idea of this book is to strive for excellence at school. The boy talks about how his parents are depressed at his poor attendance and how he is getting sub-par grades. At the end of the book, he talks about getting second chances and how he is going to do better in school. The theme is that academics are important. Overall, I enjoyed the book, especially its language and illustrations. show less

I was pleasantly surprised by Late for School, Martin is a wonderful rythmatist, and has a strong voice that can be heard throughout the story. It is an amusing account of a boy who wakes up late for school and the adventure he takes, trying to get there on time. The ending of the book comes with a predictable surprise, but the story is well worth the read. I found it to be funny with helpful illustrations and a relateable theme.

The main idea of this book was that he was afraid of being late for school but in the end realized it was Saturday and he didn't have school. I liked this book because of the rhyming repetition repeated throughout really makes the story flow and fun to read. For example, "Flew down the front stair, wet my fingers and slicked my hair, elbowed grandma passing by, her face went into a pie." This whole book is actually made into a song sung by the author, Steve Martin, that is attached to the back of each book where you can hear the rhyming being sung. Another reason I liked this book was the way the illustrations moved across the page. For example on one page the text states, "ran out the front door, moving like a meteor, I spend across show more the front lawn quickly, missed the bus, my shoelace tripped me". On that page with the text, the only illustration is the cloud of smoke that is meant to resemble him running like a meteor because he is on the next page, which is completely covered, on the other side of the meteor path, tripping onto the side walk. show less

Late for School by Steve Martin is a funny rendering of the classic yarn about waking up thinking you are late for school. In the rush to get to school on time, the young boy, jumps a fence, encounters a swimming pool and catches a ride on a kite, making it to school with just a few minutes to spare only to discover that there is no school because it’s SATURDAY! Martin’s trademark humor translates well to children.

The illustrations by C. F. Payne are a great companion to the story. Also included is a CD of Martin playing the banjo and singing the story. Both the book and the CD are perfect “read alouds” that students and adults alike will love.

Recommended for Kindergarten and up.

Mrs. Archer’s rating: 5 of 5

Steve Martin brings his brand of humor to Late for School. The main character of the story wakes up one morning, and realizes that he has missed his alarm and will be late for school. He quickly thinks of all of the consequences of being late, from disappointing his parents to getting bad grades. He proceeds to get ready for school in record time, and then goes on a whirlwind trip to try to make it to his seat before the bell. His journey starts with tearing down the stairs and accidentally knocking into his grandma, making her face fall into a pie. He scales fences, dodges swimming pools, and even hangs a ride on a kite to reach his destination in time. “Up so high I see the School/8AM that’s the rule/Flying slowly time is show more marking/Down below the dogs are barking.” The perky narrator arrives a whole two minutes before the bell only to find that it’s Saturday.
Many of the rhymes in this book are a bit of a stretch, but they are made up for with illustrations by C.F. Payne that match the goofy lilt of the book. The neighborhood Payne depicts is instantly familiar—it could be anywhere in the United States. The subject of the book is one that is a universal understanding by all students, and will be popular with children. There are fun plays with certain words, such as when the narrator is floating down on the kite. The word “down” actually goes down across the page. This would be a fun read-aloud, but the best part is that the whole book is actually a song, and it comes complete with a CD of it being sung by Steve Martin. Recommended for grades K-5. show less

I guess I'll have to listen to the music sometime to appreciate it. Mainly the lesson is Haste makes Waste. Funny, but not hilarious, imo.

Good artwork, weak/predictable storyline.