Planet Kindergarten

Whether starting at the kindergarten around the corner or on another planet, the mission is always a daring one. When this book's protagonist arrives at Planet Kindergarten, he discovers that his classmates from around the galaxy are just as nervous as he is. Light, tongue-in-cheek text and digital illustrations with a 1950s-throwback vibe make for a humorous space-age take on the first-day-of-school story.

Whether starting at the kindergarten around the corner or on another planet, the mission is always a daring one for new students to accomplish. This book's square-headed, freckle-faced protagonist is ready for takeoff, counting down the days, preparing the supplies, passing the physical, and belting himself in for the ride -- and that all happens before the title page. When he arrives at Planet Kindergarten, he discovers that his young classmates from around the galaxy are just as nervous as he is. All the details of starting school -- the strange rules of hand-raising and staying seated; playground scuffles; cafeteria procedures; making friends with someone completely new and different -- are described in a light, tongue-in-cheek style aimed at providing reassurance for children (and their nervous parents). Saturated digital illustrations with a 1950s-throwback vibe accompany this humorous space-age take on the traditional first-day-of-school story. There is so much to laugh at here that even the most terrified child will stand tall and join in with the NASA refrain "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION." Sure to comfort and amuse many a new space traveler and the grateful teachers who will read this aloud over and over during the first few weeks of school. robin l. smith