Cover of the 2000 version
Timothy Goes To School is a 1981 book by Rosemary Wells which stars a 5-year-old raccoon named Timothy who gets ready for his first day at school. He decides to wear his brand-new sunsuit made by his mother; unfortunately his first day at school doesn't turn out as good when he first encounters Claude.
Timothy would later make a reappearance in 1998 book Yoko and become a recurring character in the Yoko & Friends series. Timothy would also become the main protagonist for the 2000 Nelvana series of the same name Timothy Goes to School, which also features the other characters created by Wells.
The book contains examples of the following tropes:
- An Aesop: You Are Not Alone.
- Animated Adaptation: This book would become the first episode to the animated series.
- Art Evolution: Compare Timothy's current design as seen in the page image to him and Claude's original design from 1981.
◊ - Audio Adaptation: One was created in 1982 which was narrated by Dan Diggles complete with it's own soundtrack.
- Break the Cutie: Timothy slowly starts getting more depressed every time he encounters Claude. To the point that he is spotted crying in front of his mother twice.
- Characterization Marches On: Timothy was a lot more sensitive in the 1981 version to the point of crying.
- First Day of School Episode: We have Timothy's first day of school.
- Karma Houdini: While Claude is not a bad guy, he mostly focuses on Timothy's clothes he wears when he goes to school to the point that Timothy ends up crying when he returns home. He is last seen watching Grace's performance in the original 1981 version.
- No Name Given: This book marked the first appearance of Miss Jenkins. However she was never given a name until her reappearance in the 1998 book "Yoko".
- Pet the Dog: The ending to the 1981 version has him become friends with a bunny named "Violet" who actually loves his outfit and becomes friends.
- Smug Snake: Claude throughout the book and even more so in the animated series.
