Off to Kindergarten

July 1, 2007
PreS-KIn first-person verse, a young boy preparing for kindergarten decides to take along his teddy bear, snacks, books, art supplies, and a host of other objects. His mother informs him that his teacher will have everything he needs. Just before mounting the school bus, he exclaims, "I leave my piles of stuff at home./I sing out, 'Doodle-eeeee!'/I'm off to kindergarten now, /And all I take isME!" While the premise of this tale is on the mark, the verse is sometimes strained and awkward as Johnston seems to select some words and phrases solely for their rhyming capacity. Sweet's full-page pencil and watercolor drawings are fresh and childlike, but they can't make this title competitive with the plethora of starting kindergarten books available."Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2007
Nervous about starting kindergarten, a boy decides he needs to take all kinds of things with him just in case: his bear, books, paints and an easel, cookies for himself and for all his new friends, and a change of clothes. And what about his sandbox and his swing set? I think Id better get a truck / to haul my stuff to school. Accompanied by clear, energetic illustrations, the simple, playful rhyme expresses every kids fear and excitement about leaving home. Young listeners will enjoy the wild exaggeration and feeling superior as the boy packs up more and more, and theyll recognize his big step forward when he leaves his stuff at home and boards the school bus all by himself.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)