When You Go to Kindergarten: A Reassuring Guide for Kids (Ages 4-8) About Starting School

by James Howe

This critically acclaimed book has been thoroughly updated and reillustrated with all-new photographs. "An excellent book for introducing the kindergarten experience."--Booklist. "For all those normal fears and questions, this book has the answers, and gets them right."--Publishers Weekly.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Nonfiction

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James Howe has written more than eighty books in the thirty-plus years he's been writing for young readers. It sometimes confuses people that the author of the humorous Bunnicula series also wrote the dark young adult novel, The Watcher, or such beginning reader series as Pinky and Rex and the E.B. White Read Aloud Award-winning Houndsley and Catina and its sequels. But from the beginning of his career (which came about somewhat by accident after asking himself what kind of vampire a rabbit might make), he has been most interested in letting his imagination take him in whatever direction it cared to. So far, his imagination has led him to picture books, such as I Wish I Were a Butterfly and Brontorina (about a dinosaur who dreams of being a ballerina), mysteries, poetry (in the upcoming Addie on the Inside), and fiction that deals with issues that matter deeply to him. He is especially proud of The Misfits, which inspired national No Name-Calling Week (www.nonamecallingweek.org) and its sequel Totally Joe. He does not know where his imagination will take him in the next thirty-plus years, but he is looking forward to finding out.

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Reviews

[Calista]

If you want to check out culture from 1986, this is your book. In my effort to read the entire catalog of James Howe, this is on the list. It is to help kids prepare to enter Kindergarten to help dispel (ally (sp) ) fears about a big leap forward.

The book is such a historical record that I don't know that it is all that useful anymore. There is a little diversity in this book. Hairstyles and dresses are pretty horrible on the adults. They did make an attempt to keep styles conservative so it doesn't look so crazy, but the dresses are terrible. It's kind of fun just for that.

I can see as a Kindergartner how this book could be useful to help with the unknown fears. It could be very useful, but still somewhat out of date. I let my nephew read it who starts Kindergarten in the fall, but it is the same school his preschool is at, so he isn't worried at all. He was rather bored with the book.

[Josiah]

I like this book. Husband-and-wife team James Howe and Betsy Imershein work together well as author and photographer. James Howe's depiction of kindergarten is clear, letting new students know it's nothing to fear.

To me, the best thing about this book is the charming photography of Betsy Imershein, who fills the role that Mal Warshaw handled so admirably in The Hospital Book. The most winsome photographs in When You Go to Kindergarten are on pages 2 (the first picture in the book), 18, 20, 27, 34, 37, 39, and 42. My two favorite photos of all are on pages 6 and 40.

[Walida]

This book gives a strong view as it shows students of what kindergarten is, letting them know just the kinds of experiences may have along the way while assuring them that it is nothing to fear. Great to red for children entering Kindergarten

[Christie Angleton]

This book was published in 1994, and sadly I fear it is no longer a good picture of what most kids can expect heading into kindergarten. My heart is heavy at the reality that most kindergarteners won't find themselves building with blocks or engaging in creative activities, as the book says. I will still share it with my current preschoolers, as the photos of elementary school hallways and classrooms are good, but I don't relish the idea of breaking the other news to them.

[Robbi C]

Needs updated, but overall, a good intro for what to expect.

[Clwseattle]

Whew! I'm worn out just reading ! With the exception of the 80's computer in one picture, the message and pictures are timeless for a little ones and will really give them a good grasp of what to expect.

[Cori Dantio]

Cute little book to read to your new Kindergartner. Pictures and some information is outdated, but its premise is still on point.

[kim]

premise is still the same, but dated, sooooo dated