Kindergarten is awesome.

Kindergarten ROCKS!

Written and Illustrated by Katie Davis

Picture book ages 4-6

Rating: 3.5/5 

Dexter Duncan is very nervous for his first day of kindergarten, and uses his stuffed animal Rufus to express his feelings about it. His sister Jessica convinces him that kindergarten is rather fun, in fact, it rocks!

Opinion: This book in my opinion is fun-loving and cute without being too corny. The illustrations are purposefully simple and looks like they have been colored in with crayon, although they are definitely not juvenile. I like that it is realistic in terms of the little boy, Dex, being nervous about going away to school for the first time, but trying to pretend that he is not nervous to look cool in front on his big sister. His personification of his stuffed dog, Rufus, is well done in that it "shows" the reader that he is nervous with dialogue and behavior, instead of just saying "Dexter was nervous." An example of this is when Dexter says, "My dog Rufus is an eensy teensy bit scared about kindergarten." My concern is that the language can be condescending at times, most likely because it is for a lower age group.

Curriculum Connection: I picked this book out in the first place because I am interested in teaching primary grades more than the upper grades. I think this can be a good book specifically for kindergartners, maybe to read even on the first day of class as an introduction. It can show kids that it is normal to be nervous about coming to school for the first time and can create an atmosphere to discuss these healthy fears that children have. It is also relatable in that it has sibling interaction throughout the book; This can go into a conversation about siblings or family and become a get-to-know the students portion of the lesson. If I did use this with a higher age group, I might have them write down a memory from kindergarten and ask if they had the same fears that Dexter did. I might plan a lesson around "being a friend" and how to help a kindergartner around school if they look lost, which could help build a sense of community and respect.