Whilomeena Loves White

By Ruth E. Clark

Illustrated by Sara Caterisano

Dressed in her finest white dress and shoes, Whilomeena prepares for her first day at school. She is timid, unsure of what the day will hold, and reluctant to leave Mother, Grandpa, her dog and kitty, and her doll friend, Ms. Marabella. Whilomeena soon learns colors, letters, numerals, routines, has many friendships, and gains self-confidence. Whilomeena’s first expriences at school open to her a world of boundless possibilities and fun. To everyone’s delight, Whilomeena becomes colorful Whilomeena –a self-assured, happy, sharing, and confident little girl.

A young child’s eagerness for learning how, learning about, learning why, and learning all things new is a wonder. The eagerness to learn is, for some children, counter-balanced with ties to parent, caregiver, and with things of comfort and familiarity.

Whilomeena learns these lessons from a caring, well-trained teacher. She learns that she can comfortably transfer her ties from parent, caregiver, and home to a new setting, a new adult to depend upon, and new friends. Whilomeena becomes that child of wide-eyes, questioning, exploring, sharing, and leading. She successfully takes that giant step from a world of white into a happy, colorful, world of fun.

Author Dr. Ruth E. Clark dedicates the story to children who arrive at school eager to learn, and to parents and teachers who welcome them into the journey toward a bright future.

Artist Sarah Caterisano captures Whilomeena’s lessons and emotions in a full range of colorful illustrations exposing the joys of a child’s special first school days.

Whilomeena Loves White is a book to help parents prepare children for their first early school experiences. It is a story to be read and reread. The story reinforces the concepts and fun of early learning experiences, and is the bridge between home and school.