Once Upon an Ordinary School Day by Colin McNaughton

Once Upon an Ordinary School Day by Colin McNaughton, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura, Farrar Straus Giroux, 2004, ISBN 0-374-35634-3
Anyone who has ever had a teacher who brought color and excitement and life to the classroom will relate to this book. Illustrations in the beginning of the book are all black, white and gray, correlating to Colin's drab, ordinary life. One school day, Mr. Gee walks in, and that's where the boredom and ordinary-ness ends. He encourages the students to write what they hear in a classical music piece. "Close your eyes, open your ears, and listen", he tells the students. Here's to the Mr. Gee in all teachers!