I
f you can’t
believe you
are reading
the September book
reviews, I can’t be-
lieve I am writing
them! Weren’t we just
celebrating the begin-
ning of summer? May-
be it is the kid in me
(or the teacher in me)
but I am conflicted by
the thought of school
starting. I am excited
about new friends,
new learning, and new
experiences to come.
But I am also sad to
think that the linger-
ing warm days and the
longer evenings will
soon be turning cooler
and darker.
Keeping in mind that before we
know it, we will be saying “Goodbye”
to the summer that flew by, we can forge
ahead into fall and all the exciting things
to come. This all begins with the start of
school!
For the newest members of the Class
of 2032, a great way to start their school
career might be with The King of Kin-
dergarten (Nancy Paulsen Books, New
York, 2019, $17.99), written by Derrick
Barnes and illustrated by Vanessa Brant-
ley-Newton. This book is sure to create
confidence and enthusiasm in the whole
family. From the beginning of that first
day, everyone in the family is excited
about the start of school and so is our lit-
32 WNY Family September 2019
alty on the first day of
school and every day
after that. This book
is the perfect way to
start them off.
PICK OF THE LITERATURE
— by Dr. Donna Phillips
tle hero. He has been encouraged to think
that he will be the King of Kindergarten.
He will have a big yellow carriage that
will take him to a “grand fortress.” He
is encouraged to “hold his head high and
greet everyone with a brilliant beaming,
majestic smile” and to be kind, cheerful,
charming, and proud of his work. Ev-
erything that he does throughout the day
will be a celebration of his new friends
and his new adventure, and what makes
it even more exciting is that he will visit
his kingdom again the next day! Every
child should have the confidence of roy-
If your little is not
quite so sure of him-
self, So Big (Blooms-
bury Books, New York,
2019, $17.99), written
and illustrated by Mike
Wohnoutka,
might
help. Our little kin-
dergartener starts off
with great confidence
as he gets ready for his
first day of school, but
once the bus arrives he
realizes he may not be
“so big.” By the time
he gets to school he
has lost all of his con-
fidence, until he sees a little boy who is
also not feeling very confident. By the
end of the day they discover that to-
gether they are “big enough.” This is a
wonderful book to help a child be ready
for that first day of school and learn that
new friends can make all the difference.
The repeated phrase “so big” will en-
courage them to “read along with you”
and help them realize they are truly big
enough.
If you have a little one who is not
too sure about school, and even more un-
certain about how to make new friends,
How to Two (Dial Books for Young
Readers, New York, 2019, $17.99),
by David Soman, is a sure confidence
booster. This simple counting book be-