A Play's the Thing #[nn]

Written and illustrated by Aliki, this charming 2005 HarperCollins picture book pulls back the curtain — literally — on a classroom theater production. The cover shows an enthusiastic teacher sweeping open a checkered stage curtain to reveal a group of kids mid-chaos: one girl laughing, another asking "Are you ready?", and a skeptical boy in a yellow sweater crossing his arms with a firm "NO!" — all set against a backdrop painted to look like a little red schoolhouse. It's a wonderfully relatable snapshot of the nervous, giggly energy that comes with putting on a show, rendered in Aliki's warm, expressive style.