Everyone in class knows what to do for Mrs. Shepard for Teacher Appreciation Day--everyone except Maybella Jean Wishywashy, who can't make up her mind about anything. The other students buy apples, wear the teacher's favorite color, draw pictures of her dog, and clean the chalkboard. Maybella buys everything in the store, wears everything from her closet, paints every pet imaginable, and cleans the entire classroom. When a TV crew comes to tape a story about the special day, only Maybella can spit out an answer to what she most appreciates about her teacher-- "Everything!" The cartoonlike illustrations match Maybella's liveliness and reinforce the dual messages: appreciate those teachers and be independent. With her skinny frame, topknot, and black-dot eyes, the teacher, who previously appeared in School Picture Day [BKL Ag 02], looks as though she's related to Popeye's fickle cartoon girlfriend, Olive Oyl. Julie Cummins Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved