Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come (Picture Puffins)
PreSchool-K-When Henry wakes up on the first day of school and announces that he is ready for kindergarten, his mom gently reminds him of the things he needs to do to prepare: get washed, brush teeth, get dressed, eat a nutritious breakfast, and pack supplies. On the walk to school, mother and son discuss what Henry might expect during the course of his day. Since he has already done some of these activities at home, he is confident he'll do well. When he arrives and sees the new faces and surroundings, however, his confidence vanishes and he declares, "I want to go home." It is only after he makes a friend and finds some familiar objects that he decides to give kindergarten a conditional try. Carlson employs her familiar art style to depict Henry's mouse family and his fellow animal kindergartners in large, brightly colored cartoons placed about the text. When Henry imagines himself working at home or school, the illustrations have a rounded, thought-balloon outline. The classroom is a cheery, welcoming place, and the story will reassure youngsters who are both eager for and apprehensive about their first school experience. Pair this title with Joseph Slate's Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten (Dutton, 1996), which looks at preparations from the teacher's perspective.Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community-Technical College, CTCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.