There is no disbelief quite like that of a parent preparing his or her child for preschool. “How did we get here?” the parent might ask. “Our child can’t possibly be this old!” It makes seemingly rational adults question the very fabric of time.
No one can believe it. No one is ever fully ready. But here are a few books that might help kids (and their grown-ups) feel a little more prepared.
What to Do When You’re Not Sure What to Do
by Davina Bell; illustrated by Hilary Jean Tapper
When you’re little, life is full of new experiences, and few are more significant than starting school. This Australian import is like “Life’s Little Instruction Book” for the preschool set. Spare text and serene watercolors present a variety of situations — waiting your turn on the swings, jumping into the pool — along with tips for how to navigate them with empathy and courage. Bell doesn’t talk down to kids, giving just enough advice to let them fill in the rest of the picture themselves.
Olu’s Teacher
by Jamel C. Campbell; illustrated by Lydia Mba
So much of the nervousness about school can be summed up in one simple phrase: What will my teacher be like? That question is top of mind for Olu as he eats breakfast on the first day of preschool. His parents patiently address his fears, but his tummy is still wobbly. When he meets his teacher, his nerves slowly dissipate. Soon-to-be preschoolers will see themselves in Olu, just as he sees himself in his new teacher.
Wemberly Worried
Written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes
Kids’ attitudes leading up to the first day of pre-K can run the gamut from reckless abandon to stage five clinger. Henkes perfectly encapsulates the experience of a child who is nervous about starting school in this picture book about a little mouse who, as the title suggests, is “worried about everything.” The fast-approaching first day of school only amps up Wemberly’s anxiety. But a new friend provides a sense of recognition and fun, allowing her worries to fade into the background. Playing up Wemberly’s worst-case-scenario thinking allows children to recognize it in themselves, and hopefully head to school a little less apprehensive.
Scarecited on the First Day of School
by Alliah L. Agostini; illustrated by Lala Watkins
Scarecited = scared and excited, a cocktail of emotions that scores of children — including our main character, Afua — experience when starting preschool. When the teacher mispronounces her name, Afua must work up the courage, feeling “bravous” (brave and nervous), to set things straight. Through colorful digital art and perceptive text, Agostini and Watkins examine the big and sometimes incongruous combos of feelings that arise during a day at school.
I’m Smart!
by Kate McMullan; illustrated by Jim McMullan
Rare is the children’s book series where the eighth or ninth volume is as strong as the first, but the I’m … series by the married duo Kate and Jim McMullen is one of the exceptional few that keeps delivering hits. In this installment, we follow a yellow school bus as he proudly makes his morning rounds, picking up kids and delivering them to school safely. Expressive, inky illustrations pair with a jaunty text that’s as fun to read as it is to hear. And when a cop pulls over a silver sports car disobeying the rules of the road, believe me when I say young listeners will be riveted.
Stanley’s School
Written and illustrated by William Bee
In his long-running Stanley series, Bee has created a character (and a world) that instantly feels familiar and warm. In a welcome change from your typical first-day-of-school book fare, Stanley the guinea pig isn’t a student but a teacher, guiding a class of small rodents through the busy school day. When the clock strikes 3:00, Stanley heads home to end his day as he always does — with a little S.B.B.: supper, bath and bed. Bee’s precise, bold digital artwork reflects the text while also adding fresh details for kids to discover.
Alphabet Mystery
by Audrey Wood; illustrated by Bruce Wood
One way to alleviate the pre-preschool anxiety is to get a jump on some of the subjects kids can expect to encounter in the year ahead. The alphabet is a very good place to start. When little x runs away, the rest of Charley’s alphabet tracks him down, and discovers he is being held prisoner in evil capital M’s castle. The alphabet manages to rescue little x by pulling at the villain’s heartstrings, making their way home just in time to spell a special birthday message for Charley’s mom. I’ve read thousands of books aloud to kids, and this book, by a mother-son team, is one of the very few I come back to year after year.
Ten Black Dots
Written and illustrated by Donald Crews
The children’s book landscape is littered with intros to letters, colors or shapes. Many of these mind-numbing concept books have all the charm of eating spinach, and kids can sense the unseasoned educational benefits from a mile away. But Crews does it right in this 1968 classic, using numeracy in service of an engaging read. Each two-page spread features a rhyming couplet alongside illustrations that incorporate black dots, beginning with one and ending with 10. Children will anticipate each page turn — revealing the sun and moon, the eyes of a fox and so on until 10 black dot balloons drift off in the wind.
A Seed Grows
Written and illustrated by Antoinette Portis
Portis won both a Geisel Award (for beginning reader books) and a Sibert Medal (for nonfiction books) for this botanical primer for the preschool set. A seed falls, and the life of a sunflower begins. With rain, time and some rays, the seed transforms. A cyclical ending shows how the life of the natural world is never-ending. Bold, graphic illustrations bring to mind the garden patches and coconut trees of Lois Ehlert (“Chicka Chicka Boom Boom”), and a dramatic sunflower reveal makes this a splendid addition to your shelf.
Build!
Written and illustrated by Red Nose Studio
Never underestimate the appeal of truck books. A cast of colorful heavy machinery introduces a series of construction site verbs (haul, lift, lower, etc.) while erecting a teetering tower. The charming three-dimensional art by Chris Sickels (a.k.a. Red Nose Studio) looks like if Tim Burton were in charge of Mr. Rogers’s Neighborhood of Make-Believe.