Celebrate back-to-school time with these great new kids' books:

• In "Off to First Grade" (McElderry/Simon & Schuster, $16.99), author Louise Borden uses poetry to capture the joy and nerves of heading into a new school year. Borden's free-verse poems are wonderfully readable, offering just the right touch of friendly reassurance to young readers. Joan Rankin's clever watercolor illustrations, featuring a variety of animal characters, add further fun. (Ages 4-7.)

• Full of lively illustrations and a cheerful rhyming text, "Keisha Ann Can!" (Putnam, $15.99) by author-illustrator Daniel Kirk is perfect for little ones nervous about what to expect at school. From the time she catches the school bus to the time she gets home to her waiting parents, Keisha Ann is full of enthusiasm about playing and learning at school. Kirk's gouache illustrations, showing Keisha Ann as a lively African-American girl in the midst of a diverse group of classmates, are bright with color and energy. (Ages 3-5.)

• Anne Rockwell offers young readers a cheerful look at their first school experience in "My Preschool" (Holt, $16.95). Rockwell's illustrations, created using a traditional Japanese woodblock printing method, have the simplicity and energy of children's drawings, and her text makes children feel comfortable about the idea of going to school. (Ages 3-5.)

• Looking for a way to make reading fun for a beginning reader? Try a riddle book like "Silly School Riddles" (Dial, $14.99), where author Lisa Eisenberg and illustrator Elwood Smith team up to create some goofy entertainment. Yes, these riddles ARE really silly -- example: "Why did the toothbrush wander into band practice? It was looking for a tuba toothpaste!" -- but that means they're just right for early-elementary-age kids. (Ages 5-8.)

• Each day, John Patrick Norman McHennessy sets off "along the road to learn." And each day, something bizarre happens, from a crocodile snapping at his school satchel to a lion tearing his trousers. Of course, he's late to school and faces increasingly stiff punishments. In "John Patrick Norman McHennessy" (Knopf, $16.99), acclaimed author-illustrator John Burningham presents a brilliant riff on the clash between creativity and conformity. First published in 1987, this book remains fresh and wickedly funny. (Ages 5-8.)

• Author-artist Serge Bloch gives readers a comical look at the first day of school in "Butterflies in My Stomach and Other School Hazards" (Sterling, $12.95). In this small-size picture book, Bloch tells his story using a string of cliches paired with hilariously literal illustrations. For example, when the young narrator is told to hurry up "because we'd be in a real pickle if we missed the bus," Bloch shows a photograph of a pickle as a school bus, complete with wheels and passengers. The illustrations, a combination of collage and pen-and-ink drawings, are wonderfully appealing and will have elementary-age kids (and their parents) laughing out loud. (Ages 5-8.)

• Judy Moody has lots of trouble with math. But -- in true Judy Moody fashion -- she strenuously resists the idea of a math tutor until she finds out that her tutor is a college student. In "Judy Moody Goes to College" (Candlewick Press, $15.99), author Megan McDonald shows how the irrepressible Judy adopts the college lifestyle, much to the amusement of her family and envy of her friends. Peter Reynolds' line drawings add another layer of humor. (Ages 6-9.)

• Kids can learn the alphabet, how to count, the days of the week and much, much more in "Richard Scarry's Great Big Schoolhouse" (Sterling, $14.95). Originally published in 1969, the new oversized edition features Scarry's trademark watercolor illustrations filled with animal characters having fun as they learn all kinds of useful information. (Ages 3-5.)

• When an older girl agrees to show Yoon how to jump rope, she's thrilled -- even if it means letting the girl borrow her new jade bracelet. When the girl refuses to return the bracelet, however, Yoon is bereft and uncertain about how to handle the situation. In "Yoon and the Jade Bracelet" (FSG, $16.95), author Helen Recorvits and illustrator Gabi Swiatkowska team up for the third book about Yoon and her struggle to fit into two worlds -- Korean and American. Recorvits' story will ring true to any child who has ever dealt with a bully, while Swiatkowska's expressive paintings bring further emotion to the tale. (Ages 4-8.)

• What would happen if kids went to school and found their teacher was a dog -- literally? That's the starting point for "Dog Day" (FSG, $16.95). Author Sarah Hayes has fun showing what kinds of things kids learn from their teacher, Riff. The cartoonlike illustrations by Hannah Broadway are the perfect match for the wacky text. (Ages 4-7.)