What a Day It Was at School! by Jack Prelutsky, pictures by Doug Cushman.

You can never go wrong with a book of Prelutsky poems, and this one is a real winner.  It is the perfect book to share with a new classroom of kids who will all enjoy a good giggle.  Avoid I Made a Noise This Morning unless you want complete mayhem.   The poems range from classroom events to different subjects like art and history.  All of them carry the signature Prelutsky twist and broad humor.  The illustrations by Cushman are friendly and warm with all sorts of animals dressed and acting like people.  A very nice way to either start up or wind up a day of school.

A Place Called Kindergarten by Jessica Harper, pictures by G. Brian Karas.

The farm animals are all wondering why Tommy hasn’t come to visit them the way he does every morning.  Then the dog reports that he heard the people saying that Tommy had gone to a place called Kindergarten.  But the animals have no idea where Kindergarten is,  Finally in the late evening Tommy appears and tells them all about what he learned in Kindergarten that day. 

The text is just right to read aloud and the illustrations evoke a real farm feeling with warm colors.  This is a lovely book that demonstrates a couple of things for new Kindergarteners.  First it shows that Kindergarten is fun and special.  Second, it demonstrates that the child will be missed when they are off at school, which is a very important thing.