Twindergarten: A Picture Book About Twins Finding Courage on Their First Day of Kindergarten for Kids

by Nikki Ehrlich, Zoey Abbott Wagner (Illustrator)

Dax and Zoe are twins. They go together like peanut butter and jelly.

It’s the night before the twins are starting kindergarten, and they have the just-about-to-start-school jitters. After all, they will be in different classrooms! What will kindergarten be like when they’re not together all day? But Dax and Zoe will learn that kindergarten is full of new surprises and adventures, and being apart for a short while isn’t so bad.

From author Nikki Ehrlich and artist Zoey Abbott Wagner comes a heartwarming picture book that’s perfect for anyone dealing with new experiences, especially little ones getting ready for school.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Childrens, Back To School, Family, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 20, 2017

About the author

Nikki Ehrlich was a preschool teacher before she had her twin boys and their baby brother. She loved working with her students and hopes to return to the classroom when her kids are a little older. She remembers her own twins' first day of kindergarten and hopes her book Twindergarten will help twins and all kids feel confident and excited that kindergarten will be great! Nikki lives in New York City with her husband, three kids, and two dogs.

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twin siblings Dax and Zoe approach their first day of kindergarten with trepidation in this engaging picture-book debut from author Nikki Ehrlich and illustrator Zoey Abbott. Not only do they have the regular first-day-of-school jitters, but they must also contend with being separated for the first time in their lives. Will they adjust, and discover that school can be a wonderful experience...?

I enjoyed Twindergarten, which approaches a common childhood experience - namely, the separation anxiety that young people sometimes experience when first going to school - from an uncommon perspective. I'd never really considered the fact that twins might feel even more distraught than other children at this time, as they are being parted, not just from the comfort of their parents, but also from their constant companion and other half. Ehrlich captures her twin characters' anxiety, and their gradual conversion to a more positive attitude, quite well in her story. The artwork by Abbott is colorful and engaging, ably capturing Dax and Zoe's changing emotional state, and depicting their life as part of a happy mixed-raced family. Recommended to anyone looking for new "back-to-school" stories and/or stories featuring twins.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted on Creative Madness Mama. Dax and Zoe are twins. They go together like peanut butter and jelly.

Now is the time to pull out all those new books for introducing the kiddos to school. While it is true that in our family we homeschool, Twindergarten is still an adorable read with lots of good messages within. This would make a great open house book or gift for a new Kinder or 1st grade student that is heading off to school or a different environment for the first time. Twindergarten is an attractively illustrated short story picture book about a pair of boy/girl twins as they head off to school and to different classes for the first time in their lives to be separated from each other. It is new, exciting, terrifying, and awesome. There is some repetition in the text and it is a fairly easy read. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this one.







 
This review was originally posted on Creative Madness Mama.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twins Dax and Zoe go together like peanut butter and jelly, but now they are getting ready to start Kindergarten and feeling a little jittery: the twins had wanted to be together, but ended up in separate classes. Mom thinks that perhaps it will be a good opportunity for them to make separate friends, but the twins aren’t so sure they want to do that. The night before the first day of school, Dax pushes his bed closer to Zoe, but the next day, it is Dax who makes the first friend,a boy named Max. And even though she has met a girl named Sydney, Zoe misses him that much more. At recess, they have a chance to be together again, just like peanut butter and jelly. When recess is over, Dax slips something into Zoe’s pocket that turns out to be just the thing she needs to be able to make her own friends and have fun in Kindergarten. While Twindergarten is about twins, it is a good book to share with any child who is feeling a see-saw of emotions about starting Kindergarten - excited but nervous, confident but jittery. Abbott’s whimsical color pencil illustrations have the feel of a child’s drawing, making the story all that much more relatable for kids. This is an excellent choice for kids who need just a little more reassurance that starting school doesn’t change everything.

[Villain E · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is what I've been looking for: a book about twins that's actually about twins. The first day of school is coming up and the twins are in different classes. How do the parents handle it? How do the twins handle it? How do their teachers and classmates handle it? It's an important subject, though I can't say that I found the book itself all that engaging.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

If only siblings loved each other this much forever.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

My school always separates twins into different classes, and this book is just perfect for helping them make the transition! It may also be helpful for best friends who are separated as well.

[Manar Salama · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about a set of twins who get separated on their first day of school and experience separation anxiety. Soon they found out, that school is filled with many different adventures and learn how to navigate on their own a little bit. I liked this book because it had themes of adventure, love, family, and friendship however I did feel that the book was a little stereotypical towards twins; I feel that twins don't get enough recognition for them being their own person and are always grouped together as one. It was a terrible read, it represented a universal experience everyone goes through on the first day of school. As an educator though, if I wanted to represent twins in the classroom, I would choose a book that celebrates twins being different from one another. I've heard a lot about how twins grow up and might have some type of animosity towards one another because of the labels other people would put on them and had to learn how to forgive one another because it wasn't something they could control. Not only should we represent twins in the classroom so that they can feel accepted but teach others how to accept them as their own people.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to looooove this book. I can't say that kind of magic happened, but as a twin mama I did really like this one. Nikki Ehrlich, also a twin mama, captures the unique relationship of twins well and the ying and yang way they tend to experience big moments like starting kindergarten. Although I think the plot takes a few leaps in a couple places, the relationship is perfectly captured. The moments where the little boy drags his bed closer to his sister the night before school starts tugged at my heart. I loved the positive message, I loved that they were boy - girl twins (like mine), and I love the gentle illustrations. If you have twins that are feeling trepidation about starting kindergarten or really any separation, this is a thoughtful book about the emotions they might be experiencing.

[Teresa Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twins Dax and Zoe do everything together. They are best friends. But then school starts and they will be in separate classes. Dax does NOT like this idea. At school they meet their nice teachers and Dax gets excited to go to class. As he walks away with his class, it is Zoe's turn to be unsure. During school both children do fun things, but Zoe still misses Dax. During recess Dax gives Zoe something special that helps her through the day. A sweet story that could also be used for children dealing with separation anxiety. The illustrations are simple but they fit the tone of the story.

[Kalynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

We have twins in one of our kindergarten rooms, so when I saw this book, I thought...oh, how perfect. I love the connections that is displayed between the twins--the love, support, worry, and care. Our twins are in the same classroom, but this story has twins in separate classrooms. I think the connections still apply, especially on those days leading up to the first day of kinder...wish I would have found this book sooner.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the cute story of twins, Dax and Zoe, who are experiencing their first day of kindergarten. But they will be in separate classrooms, this year. Even though they are feeling some obvious anxiety, they realize that it's not too difficult to make new friends and that it might not be too bad being right across the hallway from one another. The soft illustrations are drawn with colored pencils.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it).

We always put twins in different classes so this scenario is definitely realistic! The book deals with the seperation anxiety the twins feel on their first day of kindergarten. I like that the book shows they working through it and making friends. It also just generally shows fun things kids get to do in kindergarten so I could see it helping any child who is worried about starting kindergarten. That being said, in general, I found the book to be a little boring.

[Valerie Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twins Zoe and Dax are nervous about being in different classrooms in their new school. Will it be awesome? They’re not so sure…

This sweet story is ideal for children coping with first day of school jitters. The story is comforting, and the soft, colored pencil illustrations fit the text perfectly.

[Cynthia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story about twins separated in different classes as they start kindergarten. Though they each feel anxious on the first day, a simple act of kindness helps them realize they will be okay after all.

[Robin Yardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for your not so sure about kindergarten kiddos! This sweet and comforting vision of kindergarten acknowledges anxieties without amplifying them. In the Twindergarten world, kindergarten promises friendship and fun!

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's stressful for young children to start school for the first time. It is especially so for twins, Zoe and Dax. They are nervous because they will be in separate kindergarten classes. This would be a good book to share with young children who are starting school.

[MaryLibrarianOH · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brother and sister twins aren't so sure about starting school in different classrooms. The author does a great job of expressing their fears and how they overcome them.

Many not have as wide an audience as some school books but this one fits a niche market.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story about a brother and sister who are very close. They have to go to separate classes in Kindergarten, and they are not very excited about it. The story seems choppy in places, but overall it is a great story. It seems to be a multi-racial family situation, and it works out great.

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a mother of boy/girl twins this was the perfect book! My littles are entering Kindergarten this fall and we have made the decision to place them in separate classes & this book touched on all the feels we are experiencing as a family. <3

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twins are anxious about beginning kindergarten. Hardly original but warm and reassuring.

[Jess Verzello · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a cute insight to kindergarten and those early school jitters.

[Paige M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet starting-to-school story.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twins and Kindergarten. Can't get much better than that.

[Britt, Book Habitue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute but I'm not sure how much appeal it would have to kids who aren't twins.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A worthy addition to the "First day of school" collection, with biracial twins Dax and Zoe facing not only first day of school jitters, but being apart from each other for the very first time.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The emotions between a pair of twins about to enter Kindergarten are very relatable emotions.

[Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Nan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet book about twins nervous starting Kindergarten. Nice illustrations, but somehow I could tell it was the first book for both author and illustrator.

[Jeffrey Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this illustrations in this book, and theme of staying the course through life's transitions.

[Chris Hays · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent first day of school story for those with best friends that will be in different classes.