Bea and Mr. Jones

About the Book

“I’ve had it with kindergarten,” Bea Jones announces one morning. It turns out that her father has had it with the advertising business. Their solution? They switch places for the day. Dressed in her father’s suit, Bea takes the train to the office, where she loves brainstorming an ad campaign for Crumbly Crackers. To Bea, the boss’s jokes hilarious: “To get to the other side? . . . That’s wonderful!” Mr. Jones excels at kindergarten and finds it relaxing. They decide to make the trade permanent. Bea becomes president of toy sales, Mr. Jones becomes teacher’s pet, and all is well. Black-and-white pencil illustrations add greatly to the humor and personalities.

Why this Book?

Someone I knew once said her kindergarten son “wasn’t buying into school.” Similarly, Bea’s tired of the beanbag games, the clothespin games, and the lollipop games (which Mr. Jones loves). What child hasn’t wondered if being an adult would be better? And what adult hasn’t wished for less responsibility? In Schwartz’s witty pictures, full of soft lines and rounded shapes, Bea has the brisk manner of an executive and carries herself with such confidence that the idea doesn’t seem quite as absurd as it sounds. The setting appears to be the late 50s or early 60s. Bea’s fellow executives are all male and the glowering boss chews on a cigar. The kindergarten teacher wears cat eye glasses. In every way, this book is a kick.