Get your little one excited about all the fun that school can offer in this fast-paced adventure with a curious Cactus Wren named Winnie! Winnie is determined to see what the children are doing inside the four walls of the school. She just needs to find a way to get inside! Winnie discovers tasty treats, books full of stories, new friends, and the joy of learning as she manages to find her way into both the school and the hearts of the people there. Readers will fall in love with the cute bird character, the brightly colored and gorgeously detailed illustrations, and the Bonus Fun Facts about the Sonoran Desert at the end of the story. Teach your child the joy of books and life-long learning and that school is a happy place to be. Grab your copy and snuggle up together for a great read-aloud experience. Don’t forget to check out Winnie’s second adventure, Winnie’s Christmas Treasure Hunt! Readers' Favorite Book Reviews 5 Stars! Winnie Goes to School is a children's picture book written by Joy K. Ball and illustrated by Manuela Pentangelo. Winnie is an inquisitive Cactus Wren who lives near the Desert Hills Academy in Arizona. One beautiful Spring day, she decides to find out what the children do in school. She flies inside the cafeteria and the library, finally ending up outside Miss Wilson's classroom. Everywhere she goes the children are giggling and scampering and Winnie is always chased back through the outside door. However, Winnie is not about to give up easily; she wants to learn about the magic of books. When Miss Wilson starts her lesson again, Winnie flies right back through the open door. Will Miss Wilson allow Winnie to join the children and attend her class? Joy K. Ball's Winnie Goes to School is a captivating picture book about a young Cactus Wren that is beautifully illustrated with colorful plants and fascinating animals that inhabit the Sonoran Desert. Highlighting the theme of the story, the title is memorable and intriguing for children. Winnie, the main character, is unique and lovable with a name that's easy to remember. The plot is simple and easy to understand with a beginning, a conflict, and a resolution. Ultimately, the story is amusing and Winnie, with her determination to attend school and learn the magic of books, can be a role model for children. It is an entertaining and informative children's picture book because learning should be fun! Reviewed by Maria Victoria Beltran for Readers' Favorite Midwest Book Review Winnie Goes to School connects nature with learning in the story of a curious bird who wants to join a classroom. Manuela Pentangelo provides gorgeous, nicely detailed color illustrations to accompany Joy K. Ball's vivid story of a Cactus Wren's venture into the classroom of the Desert Hills Academy in Arizona, and its unexpected results. Arizona's nature is profiled as Ball explores the personality of curious Winnie, who lives in a comfortable cholla cactus, but cultivates an interest in the outside world and new experiences. None of the creatures she queries quite know what the human kids do in a classroom, and so she sets out to conduct personal research, inadvertently becoming part of the learning process herself as she satisfies her sense of adventure and makes new discoveries. Picture book readers and read-aloud parents will relish Winnie's story as the bird learns the basics: "Winnie learned that the symbols in books are called letters...and letters make sounds that form words. Winnie was learning to read! Later Winnie learned that the Cactus Wren is the state bird of Arizona." Besides instilling a love of learning in young readers, perhaps the most important message represented by Winne's excursion is that of appreciating the outdoors environment in general. Ball brings the Sonoran Desert and its creatures to life, celebrating both the Southwest and the adventures to be enjoyed while pursuing new experiences and education alike. Libraries and read-aloud parents seeking colorful lessons on both will find Winnie Goes to School a captivating winner. D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review Joy K. Ball is a pediatrician, wife, and mother. Her favorite hobby is traveling and spending time going on adventures with her family. She spent several years living in the beautiful Sonoran Desert and loved exploring the variety of plants and animals found there. Having spent most of her life in the Southeast, she was amazed to see the desert bloom in spring! Her first children's book, Winnie Goes to School, was inspired by an event that occurred one dazzling spring day when a feathered friend attempted to join her daughter's first grade class.