Adventures in elementary school, through the eyes of eager canine students and told in bouncy verse. In bright red raincoat and boots, dachshund Rufus waves to the camera as he boards the bus for school: "My books are packed. My tummy's fed. / I'm ready for the day ahead." Rufus and his dog friends, a nice cross-section of breeds, have a day of classroom adventures (14 altogether), based on childhood songs and rhymes. A fluffy poodle is the subject of "There Was a Little Girl," a new "Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son" celebrates student musicians and "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" introduces a math lesson. Many of the source poems will be unfamiliar, but Trapani's inventive and precise verse allows each rhyme to stand on its own. Similarly, her illustrations, in watercolor, ink and colored pencil, are bright and distinct. Bonus addendum: a quiz that takes readers back on a scavenger hunt through many of the poems. A winner.

Rufus returns, stringing together traditional rhymes from "There Was a Little Girl" to "A Diller, A Dollar" and extending those rhymes with new verses as readers follow the group of pups throughout their day. Rufus introduces the story: "Why don't you hop aboard this bus/And spend a day in school with us?" The next page shows the pups in rain gear bustling down the hall to the rhyme "The Ants Go Marching." Trapani adds more humor with: "They march in step, in perfect rows,/the little one stops to pick her nose,/And they all go marching fast/To their class/To have fun/One by one!" The rhymes are perfectly situated within a realistic classroom setting, and a blackboard with early math lessons is paired with "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe." The colorfully dressed pups' expressions and body language are priceless. Also within the illustrations are hidden items with a prompting list at the book's end. Teachers can rhyme the morning agenda: "Come over, little waggly pups./Let's have our morning greeting./We'll talk about our day ahead,/And then we'll start off reading."

Have fun exploring the sounds and rhythms of 14 nursery rhymes while building phonemic awareness with your child. The poetry has been "extended" a bit to fit the narrative scenario Iza Trapani has created with Rufus and his canine buddies.

The dogs are ready for a full day of engaging activities in Ms. Schnickle's class. The poems match up with the reading, writing, and art tasks the dogs encounter, as well as their recess, lunch break, and trip to the school library.

The poems include "A Diller, A Dollar," "Tom, Tom, the Piper's Son," "One Thing At a Time," "Piping Hot! Smoking Hot!" and "Polly, Dolly, Kate and Molly". Viewing Trapani's detailed illustrations of the puppies’ activities is as much fun as reading these rhymes aloud, so all in all this is an attractive picture book.

The kid appeal is easy to see in this follow-up to Rufus and Friends: Rhyme Time. Fourteen jaunty poems focus on Rufus and his classmates at school. The poems are built on traditional rhymes like "The Ants Go Marching," but with embellishments ("They march in step, in perfect rows,/ The little one stops to pick her nose"). Trapani's canine students are lovable and expressive: a mop dog's eyes are obscured by fur, a beefy brown dog drools, and a black poodle bares her pointy canines, acting "horrid." A quiz lets readers find objects hidden in the pictures.

It may be a raining, but when Rufus and his canine classmates file off the big yellow school bus and march into Ms. Schnickle's classroom, they are in for a day of fun activities.

Fourteen traditional poems are matched to the puppies' school tasks, that range from reading and math to band and art. Favorites - from If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands and One, Two, Buckle My Shoe to The Ants Go Marching In and There Was A Little Girl - invite young readers to join with the characters in the book reading aloud the funny verses.

Besides exploring the sounds and rhythms that can make language so much fun, the colorful, humorous illustrations that capture all the school day activities make this a picture book with a two-fold punch. It's perfect for child participation and there's lots of action for the youngster to scrutinize.

Trapani has extended fourteen favorite rhymes into a celebration of school. Rufus and his canine friends go through the school day singing, counting, reading, writing and getting into mischief in the lunchroom and the library.