Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten

by Joseph Slate
Illustration by Ashley Wolff

Here's a warm, humorous book for that special morning of mixed emotions - the first day of kindergarten. Miss Bindergarten's soon-to-be students are excitedly, anxiously getting ready at home. Young schoolgoers will recognize their own actions and emotions in the rhyming text which incorporates the alphabet for additional interest.

With two important preschool lessons - learning the alphabet and preparing for the first day of school - wrapped up with rhyming text and a collection of adorable animal characters, this is a must-have book for any young child. The 26 letters of the alphabet are represented by a wide assortment of mammals, reptiles and an amphibian, such as Tommy the Tiger, Adam the Alligator, and Fran the Frog. As the book progresses through the alphabet, the animals wake up, get ready for school, ride the bus and finally enter the classroom, all beautifully illustrated in detailed drawings. Interspersed throughout the class introductions are two-page spreads of Miss Bindergarten, a kind-looking border collie, preparing the classroom for the first day of school.

Kids will appreciate the eager and fearless approach many of the young animals take to beginning school and hopefully this story will help calm any fears your child may have. With many recognizable actions, children will relate to how the characters deal with separation and comfort on the first day of school, such as when Gwen the Gorilla packs her bunny to help ease the transition or Ophelia the Otter gives her mother a hug before boarding the school bus. The story also does a great job at handling diversity, including a lion in a wheelchair and a kangaroo with glasses.

There are plenty of humorous animal quirks in the story that Emily, the three-year-old I babysit, loved. She noticed that the elephant cooled her morning cocoa by sticking her trunk into the mug and blowing and that the pig was sneaking a cracker because pigs are always hungry. We also discussed why the frog's baby sister looked different and Emily was fascinated with how tadpoles turn into frogs.

--Abby