BOOK MARKED
Back-to-School Books
The first day of school is always ripe
with possibility for what the year will
bring, even in a pandemic
BY JENNIFER ROTHSCHILD, COLLECTION ENGAGEMENT LIBRARIAN,
ARLINGTON PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOARD BOOKS
them out, eating your classmates isn’t the best
way to make friends. When the hungry class fish
Written and illustrated by Marion Cocklico
shows Penelope what it feels like to be a snack,
Ben’s nervous about his first day of school, but she’s able to make amends.

he finds his cubby, joins circle time, makes new
friends and enjoys himself in this comforting read ‘The King of Kindergarten’
designed to prepare children for their own first Written by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by
days. Young readers will enjoy the bright illustra- Vanessa Brantley-Newton
tions full of flaps to lift and other manipulative After his mother tells him he’ll be the King of
features. Parents will appreciate the tips on each Kindergarten, a young boy can’t wait to start
page to help their children transition to preschool. school. On the first day he puts a royal spin on
everything (instead of the school bus taking him
‘Have You Seen my Lunch Box?’
to school, the yellow carriage takes him to his
Written and illustrated by Steve Light
towering fortress). The result is a fantastic first
Many parents will recognize the scene that day. Readers will see many routine classroom
plays out in this seek-and-find board book. It’s experiences filled with a positive energy to get
time to catch the bus, but first the young protag- kids excited for their own first day.

onist must find his school things amid a jumble
of other household items. Careful use of color ‘The Proudest Blue: A Story of
against the black-and-white illustrations make Hijab and Family’
items easy to spot for young readers.

Written by Ibtihaj Muhammed and S. K.

‘I’m Going to Preschool’
‘Pete the Kitty’s First Day
of Preschool’
Written and illustrated by Kimberly and
James Dean
Ali, illustrated by Hatem Aly.

Faizah’s ready for the first day of school with her
new backpack and light-up shoes, but she’s even
more excited because her older sister, Asiya,
has started to wear her hijab. Mama wanted
her to pick a nice pink, but instead she chose a
bright, proud blue. But when Asiya is teased on
the playground, Faizah has to find a way to be
strong. Luckily, Asiya shows her how to handle
the bullies in this powerful and uplifting story
about the bonds of sisterhood.

Crowd-favorite Pete the Cat stars in a line of board
books about his younger days. On his first day of
preschool, when asked if he’s nervous, he says
“No, I’m cool.” He has his cool new backpack and
art supplies and is ready to go. While at school, he
does many typical preschool activities like singing
and painting. At the end of the day, he doesn’t want
to leave! Older readers may want to opt for “Pete EARLY READERS
the Cat: Rocking in my School Shoes.”
‘The Best Seat in Kindergarten’
PICTURE BOOKS
‘We Don’t Eat Our Classmates’
Written and illustrated by Ryan T. Higgins
Penelope is excited to start school and can’t
wait to meet her classmates. Unfortunately, her
classmates are all human and Penelope is a T
Rex—so she eats them. Even though she spits
46 Washington FAMILY AUGUST 2020
Written by Katherine Kenah, illustrated by
Abby Carter
Sam’s pretty nervous for his first day kindergar-
ten. As a fun activity, his teacher takes the class
on a nature walk and when they return to class,
everyone gets to share something they found on
the walk. A reassuring story about the big feelings
that can accompany starting school.