The Class

by Boni Ashburn, Kimberly Gee (Illustrator)

Count along with twenty young students from nineteen different homes as they get ready for their first day of kindergarten.

Alarm clocks go off and students all over town wake up and get ready for their big day. Some feel eager, others are nervous, and a few are even grumpy! But they all get dressed, eat breakfast, pack backpacks, and make their way to school, where they will meet their new teacher and become a wonderful new class. Boni Ashburn’s snappy rhyming text and Kimberly Gee’s adorable and diverse group of children make this a great pick for little ones getting ready for their first day of school.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Counting, Storytime, Childrens, Back To School, Humor

40 pages, Hardcover

First published July 5, 2016

About the author

Boni Ashburn is the author of eight picture books, including Hush, Little Dragon and I Had A Favorite Dress. Boni lives in the Upper Peninsula Of Michigan with her four children and manages a school-public library.

*Please note: I give 5 stars to books I adore and MUST own, 4 stars to books that will stay with me in some way and that I almost-adore, and 3 stars to books I like. Two stars might be books that I like in some way, but most likely have some particular aspect that I don't think was executed as well as it could have been. One star means I truly do not care for the book- sorry. And no stars? Means I can't decide how I feel about the book and therefore I don't feel qualified to rate it. In any event, I hope no book takes its rating personally :)

Also, I prefer to use goodreads for its intended purpose- to give and find great book recommendations for the types of books I read. If I don't friend you back, it's probably because we don't read a lot of the same genre. For general network-type friending, please look for me on twitter or facebook- thanks!

Reviews

[Reading Rainbow Community · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful! A perfect book for new preschool or kindergartners.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a terrific back to school book for young kids! Loved it!

[Tasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

A group of twenty children prepare for their first day of Kindergarten in this witty and charming picture book. The book starts with the different ways the children wake up from those who are up early to the grumpy ones to those who want to sleep and sleep. Next comes putting on clothes, then brushing and combing hair, and putting on shoes. Breakfast is next with pancakes or cereal or juice. Backpacks are put on, children catch the bus, are driven to school or walk. Emotions run high. And then finally, all twenty are at school and ready to begin!

Ashburn beautifully combines the normal day routines of children filled with teeth brushing, bathroom and breakfast with the unique things about the first day of Kindergarten like backpacks and having to be ready at a certain time. She also intertwines the emotions of the day with some children unable to sleep, others grumpy throughout, and some tearing up on the way to school. This is a way to show all of the different reactions to school but to also assure children that they are more alike than they may think.

The illustrations by Gee are gentle and cheerful. They capture each child and fill the page with diversity. She is also great at showing the mixed emotions of the day and the variety of reactions that children have. The use of lots of white space allows children to see themselves on the page, talk about what they will have for breakfast, about their nerves and more.

A perfect book to share with children heading to their first day of preschool or Kindergarten whether you are a parent or a teacher. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book for the illustrations, and those did not disappoint. The text, thought, is a bit of a jumble. Each page shows several kids all from the same pre-K or kindergarten class, as they prepare for their first day. Depending on their personalities and circumstances, kids prepare in different ways - getting up early, and sleeping through the alarm, buying a new backpack, or snatching up a hand-me-down, putting ribbons in their hair or barely taming their bedhead. The text talks about each of the characters in the abstract only, listing them statistically, e.g. "Six have clothes laid on a chair. / Three don't have a thing to wear!" This makes it really hard to follow the trajectory of any one child, which is really what kids would be interested in. I really felt that this was a book to help teachers realize that their students are all coming to school from very different homes, and not a first day of school book for kids. (Although, I guess if the book is meant to promote diversity, it shows kids that their classmates all come from different homes, something that seems unlikely to matter to a child already overwhelmed by starting school.) I would give the illustrations four stars, but took one away for the poor execution of the story as a whole.

[Olivia S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great picture book about a class' worth of kids getting ready for their first day of school. Shows that everyone comes from a different situation, but everyone ends up together and doing okay in the class. Cute rhyming and illustrations, love the diversity of experiences represented. Good for an end of summer/beginning of fall storytime or maybe a first day. A bit long for really little ones. Good for pre-school age, who it's really aimed at, 3-4+

[Ms. Shoshana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kids around town are getting ready to start a new school year. They are all different - some move fast, some move slow, some are up early, some oversleep - but they are ready to join together to be a class. coworker really liked this book because of how it sets up differences so matter of factly, and I do think that's important to convey to kids.

Nice diversity in the illustrations, although it would've been nice for one to be in a wheelchair or have a cast or something. I do think all the kids looked oddly the same. Rhymes are pleasant and don't feel forced.

[Alyssa Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This realistic fiction book is a wonderful book for children when they first start school. There is not one person who could not relate to something within this book. I think this book would serve as a great read aloud text that would inspire a lot of discussion and sharing amongst our young readers. Everyone would be able to make personal connections to the text. The Class also has a lot of rhythm and rhyming throughout, which teachers can point out to new readers. I personally was drawn to the story because of the diversity amongst each student's skin color, routines, and home life, yet in the end they all come together to become ONE class. Their differences and how they got there are meaningless when they walk into class. I would recommend this book for its pictures are very well done and essential to understanding the text and because it has oh so many teaching opportunities for the classroom.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

At this time of year there is always a demand for "back to school" stories. Teachers everywhere all have a favorite that they like to read to their students on that first day of class. Most of them feature what goes on in school and all the mishaps of being unable to find your locker (or cubby), being worried about what the teacher will be like, missing the bus, etc. But Ashburn has put together a different kind of story. All the kids who will come together and form a class as they get out of bed and prepare for their first morning of school. Some are sleepy, or worried, or have bed head. Others are excited, dressed to the hilt, or busy with putting on new shoes. But however their morning begins, they all arrive at school to form a class.

It's refreshing that the time before school is shown - the search for socks, gobbling down breakfast, loading up backpacks - these are all things that kids know about firsthand. And such a variety of skin tones, hair colors, and visible levels of prosperity are shown that there should be someone for each student in a class to identify with in some way. The diversity isn't trumpeted from the rooftops, but the mention of kids who have the "Old-Shoe Blues" and of one who has to make do (because they have no backpack), shows a range of economic groups. The illustrations show children from all types of ethnic and racial backgrounds. But the main point is in the title, The Class. All these unique little humans create something amazing together, a community that will last all year and have many learning adventures. That's what school is all about.

Highly recommended for elementary age.

[Maggie Mattmiller · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked aspects of this one, but a few things fell flat for me. As an adult, I eventually figured out that the kids were all in the same class, but it all felt a bit random for me. Random numbers of kids doing each thing, feeling each way, etc. Was it researched, and is it a data based representation of the proportions of kids who do each? Or was it random? I didn't love a few parts, like the kids who are sad about not getting a new backpack or new shoes. While I'm sure kids feel that way, and while it's definitely a real thing (worth teaching) that some kids get new things while others don't, if I were a student in a class who could relate when this story was being read, I might feel very self-conscious - especially if other kids started looking at me.

[Jeff Huebsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really love this book! and it will defiantly be in my classroom and on my shelf, if you can read this to a room full of children and get a lot of grins and giggles then I feel sorry for your reading skills because I do not think anyone with a voice could mess this story up.

I will not ruin this one for anyone wanting to read it but just know that every kid in every class will see themselves and there classmates in this story, and I truly believe that not one would dislike this book or not want to listen to it again and again, its just that kind of book.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nineteen different children are, yes, different. This story shows them getting ready for their first day in varied ways. Their dress, breakfast, feelings and the ways to get to school all are shown by the individual or the small group, but delightfully celebrating that each differs, and the wonder of it, too. It’s a terrific first day of school book.

[Juliana Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have fun counting the kids on each page and see how these 20 children, with their similarities and differences, all come together to make one class. Find out who gets up before dawn and who is sleeping late, who packs a lunch, who rides the bus, who walks to school, who wears new shoes, who is nervous, and who is not. Count them all. Great story to start a graphing activity in class too.

[Niki Marion · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best back-to-school books this season. Connects students across many different backgrounds, morning rituals, and families. Wonderfully diverse in many ways and encapsulates the variety of routines, emotions, and ways of getting ready to go to school.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty children from twenty homes all starting kindergarten. Some are nervous, others get kisses, some are alike, and all are part of one class in the end. This is a great story about getting ready for the first day of school and has a lot of opportunities to count items in the story.

[Jennifer Fenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great back-to-school picture book that nods to its characters' diverse backgrounds and economic situations without being overwhelming for its intended audience! Cute and fun!

[Jenn Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect for kids that are getting ready to start school. My daughter enjoyed this book. Would recommend.

[Sorome G · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book by Boni Ashburn and Kimberly Gee is about students all getting prepared on their way to get to class. It shows their morning routine, night routine, to them being in the classroom. They all experience different emotions, some trying to be brave and some letting it all out. But they all push through and go to school together. The theme of this story is growth. Everyone has a different family and different life but they are all choosing to be at school. Togetherness can also be one. It can be sad saying goodbye to moms and dads but when we all come together with people in similar situations, we feel comforted and feel better.
I wasn’t a fan of the writing but I loved the illustration. I liked the drawing style for the illustration. The different characters and the emotions of the illustration were very cute!
I would use this book in any classroom. It doesn’t have much focus on any subject it’s just more of welcoming students to class. This can be motivational for students who are nervous to start the new school year and it can be used for anyone.

[Ellwyn Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bed head, mismatched socks, a morning buffet of emotions; twenty children prepare for their first day of school. A rhyming concept book that celebrates children on their fist day of school and invites readers to count them.

A lighthearted story that will bring a smile to readers' faces. The characters epotimize the silliness and apprehension of children preparing for their first day of school.

I like the picture of the easel on the title page. As soon as the reader opens the book they feel the creative possibilities school offers. The characters are adorable, playful and authentic. A fun story that should spark children's attention and help them open up about their own concerns for the first day of school.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a clever concept for a counting book.

Because readers learn about 20 students getting ready for their first day of kindergarten. Instead of dealing out the numbers one at a time, like your typical counting book, author Boni Ashburn shuffles her 20-card deck and deals out info in ways that seem far more fascinating than a mere counting exercise. For example:

Pack up backpacks! Ten have new.
Three get hand-me-downs. One makes do.
Two take snacks and twelve take lunches.

EASY-BREEZY AND FUN. THAT'S THE TONE.

While rhymes add to the jaunty feeling of this story.

Lighthearted illustrations by Kimberly Gee contribute even more festiveness.

As for me, what can this Goodreads reviewer add to this book? I know, FIVE STARS.

[Sydnee Gann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow 20 children on their journey to their first day of school-what did they wear? What did they eat? Did they get new shoes? Did they get new backpacks? Are they looking forward to a new school year? Read to find out!

I love this book- I think it really goes to show just how different and individual everyone is!

I could see myself starting my first day of class with this book; I think it would be cool to have students relate to the kids in the book-which did you act like this morning?

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe a 3.5; I really liked all the differences and showing the individuality of all the students. Also, has the benefit of showing morning routines.

However, the way the story is written I had no idea that there were 20 children until I read it on the book flap and I don't see anyway to follow one child much less 20 (without a headache) when it seems some are pictured twice in some parts of the story.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Four are eager, up since dawn. Three just sit and yawn and yawn. Some are grumpy. Some keep sleeping. They don’t hear the clock beep-beep-ing!”

A great read aloud for the first day of school. Each child in class will probably recognize at least one of the things that the students in the book go through to get ready for school. It will make a great discussion ... finding things in common with other classmates, etc.

[Victoria B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the illustrations. They're cute, relatable, and there's diversity among the kids.

The story, which is about kids getting ready for the first day of school, is just ok - lots of numbers are used but there doesn't seem to be a pattern, which makes it hard to keep up with and honestly, a little confusing. The variety in the way they get ready is cool, though, because it shows kids that not everyone does things the same way, even though they may end up at the same place.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rhyming text shares the adventures of children preparing for the first day of school. Mostly cute and humorous (several underwear/potty illustrations that will get big laughs from the littles) the text felt off a bit for me as the number of items described was in no predictable order. Even so, woud be a fun one to share to start the year.

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book about the first day of class and all the various and different kids, some eat the same thing for breakfast, some have new and some use old, some and fast, some are slow but they all come to class.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE CLASS is about a class worth of children as they get ready for their first day of school.

The numbers and counting are a bit all over the place.

The illustrations look great as they show different circumstances and different ways children get ready and go to school.

[Joan Arbogast · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun rhythmic, rhyming text that also has kids counting like... "Five begin to look alive. This one's sure he won't survive. One is tickled. Two look worried. One woke late and now she's hurried!"

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This would be a fun companion book to SCHOOL'S FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL for a back to school storytime.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute. Leaves out some possibilities, but ah well.

[Laura Salas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celebrating in a fun way all the ways we are alike and different as we head off to the first day of school!