Review by Booklist Review
Preschool is both exciting and scary, but this latest introduction to a momentous milestone will allay many children's fears. Bright, patterned illustrations, rendered in watercolor-and-digital collage, depict Mrs. Maya's multicultural preschool class from drop-off to pickup. Intermittent rhymes ( Sand table, water table, / dress-up clothes, / beads to string. / Make a store with a / cash register that rings ) keep the text lively as it describes some of the activities and times (e.g., nap time and cleanup time) preschoolers encounter. Emphasizing developmental over academic knowledge, the book highlights what preschoolers can expect to learn and practice, from sharing and manners to art and playing pretend. Codell also addresses separation anxiety and end-of-day concerns. Sidebars with smaller, additional text on these subjects can be inserted during read-alouds. Concluding tips for parents recognize their concerns as well. Pair with Anne Rockwell's My Preschool (2008) for another look at this big kid event.--Leeper, Angela Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Seldom has the question "What will preschool be like?" been answered in such detail. Codell (The Basket Ball) and Rama (Daddy Adventure Day) divvy up the answer into 13 areas, including expected behavioral topics (manners, sharing, cleanup) and beautifully empathetic sections on homesickness ("Thinking-about-Home Time") and getting picked up ("Never never never/ In a thousand million years/ Would Mom or Dad not pick you up,/ So let that ease your fears"). There's even a spread devoted to fire drills ("How exciting! How noisy! We are safe and sound"). Rama uses warm, saturated hues and textures to depict a world fully equipped for all kinds of fun (even naptime is seen as an opportunity for dreaming) and chock-full of bright-eyed potential friends. But her pictures take a backseat to Codell's calm and lengthy explication of the preschool experience (she devotes four pages to Circle Time and four stanzas to musing on what parents may be doing while their child is in school). Whether this no-stone-unturned approach tamps down preschool jitters or feels like TMI will depend largely on the temperament of the reader. Ages 2-5. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-This book introduces children to what they can expect when going to preschool for the first time. As it opens, the author challenges viewers to find similarities and differences between home and school. Scenes feature a multicultural group of cheery youngsters and include play time, circle time, field trips, clean up, and nap time. Special consideration is also given to manners and dealing with thoughts about missing mom and dad. Rama's digital artwork is bright and busy and works well in representing the preschoolers' world. However, the writing changes from a rhyming to a non-rhyming text throughout the book with no reason and is clumsy to read aloud. The extensive concern about where the children's parents are and what they are doing could make youngsters anxious instead of calming their fears. A more reassuring choice would be Anne Rockwell's My Preschool (Holt, 2008).-Diane Antezzo, Ridgefield Library, CT (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This is an informative book for preschoolers about preschool. Sunny watercolor and digital-collage art illustrates everything from cubbies to potties and circle time to field trips, but uneven rhyme and lengthy text make this challenging to read aloud. Ideas presented as problems not to worry about (Will my parents forget to pick me up?) may unnecessarily alarm youngsters. Preparation tips for parents are appended. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Codell walks children step by step through the sights, sounds and activities of preschool. "What's at home? What's at school? / What's different, what's the same? / Let's go to a preschool room / and see what we can name." The first several pages mention common preschool objects and activities that observant readers can spot in the watercolor-anddigital-collage artwork. From there, Codell goes on to describe some of the regular parts of a preschool day: circle time, nap, art, and cleanup time, among others. Pages are also devoted to such once-in-a-while things as fire drills and field trips, as well as those all-important preschool (and life) skills of sharing and using manners. With a deeper nod than usual to those kids who may be having a tough time, Codell writes about "thinking-about-home time," offering a poem that will have kids pondering what adults do when their children aren't around. The sometimes wordy text is a mix of free and inconsistently rhyming verse that can make for a difficult read-aloud; the audience's lack of reading skill precludes this being anything but. In a scratchy, scribbly style reminiscent of preschool, Ram moves away from her usual round-headed, rosy-cheeked children for a less distinctly drawn classroom full of multiracial kids. While this introduction may help a few pre-preschoolers, there are better options out there. (Picture book. 3-5)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
