Look How Much I’ve Grown in KINDergarten

PreS-K–Mason doesn’t want to go to school because she’s worrying about the things she can’t do: tie her shoes, draw a picture of her favorite flower, and know all the letter sounds. Her mother suggests they talk to Mason’s teacher, Ms. Perry; the following day, Ms. Perry explains to the class, “Some growing can happen quickly, and some can take a long time.” The students all share ways they’d like to grow, such as learning to ride a bike and making more friends. Mason says she wants to learn to tie her shoes and then proceeds to use the “shoe basket” with pictures and books to help her practice. The next morning, she walks into class with a huge smile and the teacher announces “You grew overnight! Some growing happens like that.” A matter-of-fact narration, a teacher who thanks her students for sharing their fears, and a long but accessible text combines with Chou’s vibrant digital spreads that seem ready to bust out of the borders. Mason, with light tan skin, green eyes, and dark reddish hair, wears her concerns on her face while she figures things out. The last spread features the happy looking class of children (diverse in physical appearance) in a garden on the last day of school, ready to move on to first grade.