Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten!

Starred review from May 7, 2012
Anxieties can make anyone feel small and blue, and that’s exactly how Yum (The Twins’ Blanket) portrays a worried mother whose son is readying for his first day of kindergarten. “What if you don’t have time to finish your sandwich at lunch?” she asks, barely tall enough to peer her blueberry-tinged face over the edge of the table at her full-size son, who clearly can’t wait for the big day to start. “We don’t know anyone here. I miss your old teachers and your friends,” she says later, looking forlorn and tiny at the front steps of the school, which her son climbs with the canny look of a seasoned pro. Is Mom really as worried as she looks—or is the boy projecting his fears onto her in order to maintain his persona as a confident “big boy”? Although some readers may suspect the latter—especially when the boy has his own brief blue period at the kindergarten threshold—Yum isn’t telling. And therein lies the joy of this inventively styled, deeply empathic book. Ages 4–7. Agent: Sean McCarthy, Sheldon Fogelman Agency.

Starred review from June 1, 2012
Yum, known for using text and artwork to explore emotions (There Are No Scary Wolves, 2010, etc.), looks at the first day of school from two points of view--that of a little boy who is more than ready and a nervous mother not quite prepared to let him go. The author's watercolors are the true standout here, the colors and relative sizes of the characters masterfully conveying their emotions--many spreads could stand on their own without the text at all. Readers first see the pair when the 5-year-old shakes his mother awake on the first day of school; he is huge and pink-faced, towering over his tiny mother, who is blue-faced and cowering in the bed. As the text enumerates her worries (that he won't have time to eat, she forgot some vital supply, he'll be late, he'll get lost, he won't have any friends), the exuberant boy's facial expressions, body language and oral responses counter her fears...until they reach his classroom door, and their sizes and colors flip. He quickly gets over it and has a great day at school, greeting his blue-toned mother exuberantly at dismissal, and the two, regular sizes and colors again now that they have survived the day, reunite and share the day's events. Yum has perfectly captured the emotional ups and downs of both parent and child in a visually expressive work that will shore up adults as they send their children off on that momentous day. (Picture book. 4-7, adult)

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August 1, 2012

PreS-K-This book is a delightfully helpful twist on kids' apprehensions as they make their first foray into the classroom. It shows that their parents are nervous, too, via endearing artwork that conveys emotions through color and size. In the beginning, the young boy is drawn larger and much more robust than his mom, glowing with healthy color and moving with excitement and energy. His mother appears tiny and blue and timid, barely peeking out over the covers on her bed and curling up behind her son's backpack. When she is greeted by another parent, a rosy tint begins to show on her face, indicating she feels better about this new adventure. Then it's the son's turn to be small again, and the blue shadow of apprehension creeps across his face. His new teacher is kind, though, and he marches independently into the room, ruddy in complexion and strong-limbed. Poor Mom is blue as she waves good-bye and as she anxiously waits for her son at the end of the day. When they reunite, both are blooming with warm colors-until, that is, the little boy asks if he can ride the bus the next day. Humorously, the mom shrinks a tad and turns blue (and maybe a bit green). This sweet, endearing book provides an extraordinary opportunity for parents and children to share their mutual fears and reassure one another as the big day approaches. Fantastic.-Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.