Gilbert and his friends return to delight their fans in this look at their last day of school. The normal classroom routine is replaced by cleaning desks, reminiscing about the year and practicing the poems and songs they will recite for their parents that afternoon. Recess is spent speculating as to who will win which awards. Gilbert is especially worried about this, as he cannot think of anything that he is better at than his classmates. But all works out in the end, and a little ice cream after the final school bell cheers up all the students. And looking out the window, Gilbert is heartened to learn that even Miss Byrd loves summer vacation--she bicycles past the shop wearing Gilbert's gift. DeGroat perfectly portrays the essence of the last day of school, from the strange surroundings of a classroom stripped of all decorations, to the mixed emotions of students and teachers alike. Her classic illustrations capture body language and facial expression to a T. A wonderful celebration of the end of a school year, ideal for preparing kindergartners. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

On the last day of school, Gilbert feels sad about leaving first grade and his teacher. He also worries about reciting his poem and wonders if he'll get a class award. In the end he does fine and receives the good friend award. Humorous illustrations of the animal characters bring life to the familiar feelings surrounding the school year's end. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

K-Gr 2-First grade is ending, and Gilbert and his animal friends experience mixed emotions as summer vacation approaches. Narrators Jason Harris and Peter Pamela Rose provide excellent performances in this volume (HarperCollins, 2006) of Diane deGroat's lively primary-school picture-book series. The actors deftly use vocal effects to give each character unique emotions and personality traits. For instance, Gilbert's sweet, lilting tones convey the smile that we see on his face. A slight waver enters his voice when he tells Mrs. Byrd goodbye for the summer, effectively conveying how Gilbert's moods change as the story progresses. Well-chosen sound effects enhance the production. The music also helps underscore the mood of the story. Cheerful tones chime in the background when Gilbert receives a Good Friend Award from Mrs. Byrd, but sad music accompanies his farewell to his teacher. Page-turn signals are optional. An excellent choice for libraries where audiobooks are used to supplement print collections and encourage emerging readers.-Mary Landrum, Lexington Public Library, KY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

K-Gr. 2. In this ninth installment in the popular Gilbert and Friends series, opossum Gilbert and his classmates (assorted animals in children's clothing) look forward to graduating from first grade. Gilbert is anxious about the award ceremony--he wonders if he has a talent worthy of recognition. Even though Lewis, the class funny man, informs him that everyone gets an award, Gilbert isn't entirely convinced. Then Gilbert saves the day during a tense moment at the ceremony, which proves that he is, indeed, deserving of the award he eventually receives. Although this entry may not be as tension-filled as some of the other titles in the series, the bright, cheery watercolor illustrations, with their sizeable cast of lovable, expressive characters, will draw youngsters into Gilbert's comfortable small-town suburban environment. Gilbert's fans will look forward to more first-grade adventures with the opossum, or, perhaps, following a more mature Gilbert as he and his friends continue their escapades in second grade. --Randall Enos Copyright 2006 Booklist

No More Pencils, No More Books, No More Teacher's Dirty Looks! is Gilbert's sentiment about the last day of school in his latest adventure by Diane deGroat. Together Gilbert and his friends clean out their desks, and straighten up the classroom, and everyone gets an award. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved