Llama Llama Back to School

by Anna Dewdney, Reed Duncan, J.T. Morrow (Illustrator)

A Netflix Original series

From bestselling author and storyteller Anna Dewdney comes a back-to-school story featuring the beloved Llama Llama!

Summer days are getting shorter and it's almost time for the first day of school for Llama! But Llama Llama isn’t ready for summertime to end. It's been full of backyard camping, family picnics, and ice cream with friends. All he wants is for summer to go on forever! He’s anxious about his first day back at school but maybe, with some help from his friends and Mama Llama, going back to school will be fun after all!

With over 30 million copies in print, Anna Dewdney's New York Times bestselling Llama Llama books have provided hours of comfort with catchy rhymes, effortless rhythm, and adorable artwork.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Back To School, Childrens, Storytime, Animals, Fiction

40 pages, Hardcover

Published May 31, 2022

About the author

Anna Dewdney was an award-winning children's-book author, illustrator, teacher, mother, and enthusiastic proponent of literacy and reading aloud to children. She was the author of the bestselling Llama Llama Red Pajama series of picturebooks, among many others. She lived with her partner Reed Duncan in Vermont where she worked, gardened, and spent time with her daughters and dogs.

Reviews

[Jonathan Cavazos]

Reading this to my first graders tomorrow.

[Bentley Canerday]

In this book it starts out in the summer and all of the fun things kids do over the summer. Then it switches in to the preparation of getting all of the things for back to school. Then it is all the events that happen on the first day of school. I thought this was a really good book for younger kids. The illustrations were fun and colorful and showcased a lot of different animals at school. It also showed the llama helping someone else at school who was having a hard time. I think this book would be a very good tool to use in therapy especially for social situations. This book would be very good for prepping someone with social impairments on what to expect when they are either going to school for the first time, going to a different school, or even just going back to school the next year. This could also be used in therapy to show the client that other people could be having a hard time going back to school just like they are. It could teach the client a way to make a connection with someone else that leads to a new friendship.

[Bea]

Oh, I remember as a child going back to school could be so disappointing. I loved the freedom I had, exploring conservation land, sleeping late, reading as much as I wanted. I enjoyed, most of the time, the lack of structure. Going back to school meant getting up early (which is still a chore), working, and too much structure (I've found a balance these days). But it also meant seeing friends and acquaintances I didn't over the summer, and knowing exactly what I was doing every day, maybe making a new friend.

Llama Llama is enjoying his summer - reading in a hammock, going to the farmer's market, playing games, having picnics, and spending time with family friends. As summer nears to a close, Llama's mother starts reminding him that school will be restarting. That makes him sad. Going shopping for back to school frustrates him. Then, it's time. Summer vacation is over, school has begun. But wait, Llama Llama is having fun! He paints, colors, plays, and follows the teacher's directions. Then, he spots a new student who is unhappy. Llama Llama rushes over to help him, and befriends him.

Dewdney and Duncan do a lovely job of portraying am American summer vacation for many young children and the joys and challenges of a new school year. Llama Llama is kind, caring, and thoughtful, though certainly not perfect. "Llama Llama Back to School" is a sweet story that kindergardeners and elementary school children will enjoy.

[The Christian School Librarian]

This is a story I would only read during the first week of school. It focuses heavily on summer ending and Llama getting prepared for school. A little more than half way through the book it finally gets to the point when he actually gets to his first day back to school.

My Opinion: Cute but could have been better.
Theme/Topics: Llamas, Back to School, End of Summer Vacation, Preparing for School, etc
Clean or Inappropriate: Clean
Age Group: Pre-K
Kids Response:

[Emilee Cercone]

While summer is fun and all, it does have to come to a close. I like how this story shows what its like having to prepare for school. I can remember many memories of school shopping and having to pick out the right backpack. The night before school started was always the best, so excited to see friends you hadn't seen all summer and meeting your new teacher. Being the new kid is never easy but finding someone to call your friend is always the best!

[TheRetiredSchoolLibrarian |Mrs. Ferraris]

Brief summary: Llama Llama and his friends wind down the summer and get ready to go back to school. He is excited to go shopping with his mama and prepare for the new year. He has a wonderful time once he returns to school.

Comments: I love the rhyming and positivity of this book. This is a comforting read-aloud for preschoolers and kindergartners with back-to-school jitters.

Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗

[Dannaca]

We read this for our Back to School story time. Llama Llama doesn't really want summer to end but when school starts he finds someone who is feeling a bit worse than he is. I liked how this book showed kids how to look for others who might be feeling down and how to cheer them up. It even points out that some kids may need different things than the rest of the class. It's really fantastic!

[Pam]

Llama Llama is enjoying the relaxed summer pace when Mama begins back to school preparations. He is not interested in going to school until he gets there.
Though this book continues in Dewdney's style, it is simply in her style. I'm delighted to see the characters continue.

[Edward Sullivan]

The title says it all.

[Bev Asbury]

For Rylen

[Amy]

Absolutely precious!!! I loved the little Llama and animal characters!!! Perfect for young readers, families, and classes!!!

[ChrisAndShun DeMoir]

bedtime story yesterday

[Madison LibraryBookFamily]

Good sentiment. Rhymes feels like their teaching.

[Ana LibrariAna]

Great to read during the first start of school.

[msfox_librarian]

Great back to school book for my young students!

[Jessica Calaway]

Ages:2 - 5 years

Great transition book from summer to start of school The Rhyming is also a catch aspect I think children will enjoy.

[J New]

I wanted to love this like some of the others in the series but it spent too much time getting to school.

[Reading With Dad]

Watch a reading of
LLAMA LLAMA: Back to School
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNpXPtvj/

[Eden]

4⭐️

[Micheala]

This relatable back-to-school story is about adjusting to a new routine. My little one enjoyed it, and I liked that it acknowledges some of the nervousness and excitement that can come with starting school.