The first day of school is a shared experience so potent, many grown-ups — including this one — still have weird dreams about it decades later (who says the monoculture is dead?). The joys and anxieties of this rite of passage are fertile ground for storytelling, which has led to a lot of excellent books on the topic. But while the first-day experience is about as ubiquitous as they come, how children navigate the milestone is as varied as the colors in that gigantic Crayola box that we all coveted in kindergarten. These are a few of my favorite back-to-school books for children as they start their K-12 journey.
How to Get Your Octopus to School
by Becky Scharnhorst; illustrated by Jaclyn Sinquett
When preparing for the first day of school, kids are often the passive participants while parents are whirling dervishes of frenzied activity. This book flips that dynamic, with a second-person story that lets children imagine themselves in the role of the exasperated caretaker. After her shy orange octopus receives an invitation to start school, a girl helps him prep for his big first day. Nothing goes as planned, as the sneaky mollusk takes every opportunity to hide. Luckily, when he finally gets to school, he finds plenty of peers who want to join in the hide-and-seek fun.
Never, Not Ever!
Written and illustrated by Beatrice Alemagna
While some kids are excited to enter the hallowed halls of kindergarten, do not underestimate the willpower of a child who absolutely does not want to go to school. Pascaline, a 5-year-old bat, is so determined to avoid the classroom that, by the sheer force of her defiance, she accidentally shrinks her mom and dad — and then realizes that her peanut-sized parents can provide some much-needed company as she heads off into the unknown. As Pascaline’s confidence is buoyed by her secret companions, her parents come to understand that a day at school isn’t quite as easy as they thought. Alemagna’s rich, playful art further highlights the wit of the text.
Shy Robin and the First Day of School
Written and illustrated by Jaime Kim
Even the smallest gesture of kindness can transform an anxiety-filled first day into a hopeful new beginning. Robin the hippo is feeling some major first-day-of-school nerves, which she attempts to assuage with a security item: a purple headband with a bow. When her headband goes missing, things begin to go downhill, until her classmate Marco steps up and shares his own humble comfort talisman: a purple bracelet that plants the seed of a blossoming friendship.
The Brilliant Ms. Bangle
by Cara Devins; illustrated by K-Fai Steele
It’s the first day of school at Belford Elementary and something is different: The beloved school librarian has moved away and been replaced by Ms. Bangle. The students are devastated and decide to ice Ms. Bangle out, refusing story time until the old librarian comes back. But she turns the tables on the young skeptics, showing them that boring library duties can become lively fun for all. Children often crave consistency, but this book reminds us that change isn’t always bad.
Truman
by Jean Reidy; illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins
This back-to-school story never leaves the apartment, yet manages to be one of the best in the category. Today is the first day of school for Sarah, but her pet turtle, Truman, doesn’t know that. When Sarah leaves, Truman is determined to use all his strength and ingenuity to reunite with his beloved owner. Just as he finally makes it to the door, his Sarah returns, setting up a show-and-tell visit to come. Wonderfully loose and bright artwork brings out the humor of this small-scale epic journey.
Bear’s Big Day
Written and illustrated by Salina Yoon
“When I became a man, I put away childish things” goes the scripture, and here it applies to little bears as well. In an effort to be grown up, Bear leaves behind his bunny, Floppy, on the first day of school. The separation is more challenging than expected, however, leading Bear to realize that not all childish things must be abandoned in order to grow. This is the simplest book on this list, and it might be the most effective.
Your School Is the Best!
by Maggie Hutchings; illustrated by Felicita Sala
Few things can make a kid laugh like an authority figure getting pranked; this book gleefully capitalizes on that fact to have young readers rolling in the aisles. A curious brown cockroach and his crew hop into a boy’s backpack and hitch a ride to the local elementary school. Things are going fine … until the cockroach does a dance on the teacher’s head. Pandemonium ensues as the cheery stowaways continue to surprise and disgust the unsuspecting teacher (and class), turning a humdrum school day upside down.
Froggy Goes to School
by Jonathan London; illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz
One thing I have learned in my years as an elementary school librarian: Trust Froggy. London’s humor, call-and-response repetition and knack for onomatopoeia combine with Remkiewicz’s bright watercolor artwork for a knockout read-aloud experience every time. In this installment of the beloved series, Froggy heads off to school, where he struggles to pay attention. His relatable gaffs and embarrassments are counteracted by his boffo performance during circle time. An endearing character does it again.
Mr. S
Written and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo
If you’re looking for something on the absurdist side, this book delivers. As students begin filing into room 2B on the first day of school, they can tell something is off. On the board is written the name Mr. S, and at the teacher’s desk sits … a sandwich. As the class tries to make sense of the situation, they start to wonder if their teacher may in fact be a lolling ham and lettuce on white bread. The misdirection at the end will leave readers’ mouths agape, and an illustration-only B plot will reward repeat reads and those paying close attention.
A Normal Pig
Written and illustrated by K-Fai Steele
The lunchroom is one of the few places where kids get to bring a little piece of home with them to school. So when a polka-dot pig named Pip gets called out for having a lunch that isn’t like everyone else’s, it stings, and makes her long to blend in. But oftentimes, having a response in your back pocket is all you need to turn these sorts of situations around, and during a trip to the city Pip learns the power of the phrase, “Maybe it’s weird for you, but not for me. I like it.” Steele’s expressive ink-and-watercolor illustrations are full of keenly observed details of the childhood experience.
Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten!
Written and illustrated by Hyewon Yum
Not every kid is nervous on the first day of school. In this twist on the typical first-day jitters tale, it’s the mother who is the anxious one — brilliantly expressed in Yum’s illustrations, as Mom shrinks from full-sized to small and blue — while our joyful protagonist is ready for anything. At the end of a successful first day, Mom’s worry is replaced with pride, and she returns to her normal self … at least until her son asks to ride the bus tomorrow.
Mine! A Story of Not Sharing
by Klara Persson; illustrated by Charlotte Ramel and translated by Nichola Smalley
Humor can be a great antidote for didacticism, and this Swedish import about the eternal challenge of sharing will have children (and grown-ups) laughing at the ridiculousness of taking selfishness to the extreme. Sally’s friend Nico is coming over, but Sally has a few things she doesn’t want Nico to play with: her squirrel stuffy, the toy train, the blankets, also the bed. As the list of untouchables grows to include the toilet, the refrigerator and Sally’s own mother, readers will recognize the silliness of keeping everything to oneself.