Planet Kindergarten
Publishers Weekly--05/26/2014For one brave boy, kindergarten isn’t  just a grade—it’s a destination. He gets to school via rocket (one that  looks suspiciously like his father’s hatchback), and considers his  classmates to be aliens, including two that could be relatives of Cousin  It. The boy adjusts to “zero gravity” (“We have to try hard to stay in  our seats. And our hands go up a lot”), discovers that he likes space  food, and freaks out during naptime: “Is the room running out of  oxygen?” Prigmore’s manic digital art gives a nod to Jetsons-era  cartoons, while Ganz-Schmitt’s metaphor will ring true with intrepid  readers. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Jennifer Unter, the Unter Agency.  (May)"A genius way to ease kids into the new adventure that is kindergarten."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Kindergarten isn't just a grade-it's a destination."--Publishers Weekly"Both  kids and parents will delight in the cheerful exuberance of Prigmore's  style!"--Maureen Palacios, Once Upon a Time, Montrose, CAKirkus Reviews ★ 2014-05-14A  genius way to ease kids into the new adventure that is kindergarten.In  an imaginative ruse that's maintained through the whole book, a young  astronaut prepares for his mission to Planet Kindergarten. On liftoff  day (a space shuttle-themed calendar counts down the days; a stopwatch,  the minutes), the small family boards their rocket ship (depicted in the  illustrations as the family car), and "the boosters fire." They orbit  base camp while looking for a docking place. "I am assigned to my  commander, capsule, and crewmates." Though he's afraid, he stands tall  and is brave (not just once, either—the escape hatch beckons, but NASA's  saying gets him through: "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION"). Parents will  certainly chuckle along with this one, but kindergarten teachers'  stomach muscles will ache: "[G]ravity works differently here. We have to  try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot." Prigmore's  digital illustrations are the perfect complement to the tongue-in-cheek  text. Bold colors, sharp lines and a retro-space style play up the  theme. The intrepid explorer's crewmates are a motley assortment of  "aliens"—among them are a kid in a hoodie with the laces pulled so tight  that only a nose and mouth are visible; a plump kid with a bluish cast  to his skin; and a pinkish girl with a toothpick-thin neck and huge bug  eyes.Sure to assuage the fears of all astronauts bound for similar  missions.(Picture book. 3-7)School Library Journal--07/01/2014PreS-K—  A child bids farewell to his parents (who are sent back to their own  planets) and begins his first mission on Planet Kindergarten. He is  joined by intergalactic aliens, all reporting to a commander whose desk  is littered with apples. The gravitational field is different: "We have  to try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot." Projects  include exploration outside the capsule, keeping logs, and, most  challenging of all, extended rest time. "Abort mission," the homesick  space traveler thinks. Then he remembers what's said at NASA: "Failure  is not an option." Before he knows it, he's in splashdown—back home— and  training for his next mission. Ganz-Schmitt exhibits a fine mix of  sensitivity and pizzazz in approaching the challenges that children  face. With the help of Prigmore's superpowered animation-style  illustrations, she offers a story that will help readers understand that  kindergarten really is out of this world.--Susan Weitz, formerly at  Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY