Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten!

Anxieties can make anyone feel small and blue, and that's exactly how Yum (The Twins' Blanket) portrays a worried mother whose son is readying for his first day of kindergarten. "What if you don't have time to finish your sandwich at lunch?" she asks, barely tall enough to peer her blueberry-tinged face over the edge of the table at her full-size son, who clearly can't wait for the big day to start. "We don't know anyone here. I miss your old teachers and your friends," she says later, looking forlorn and tiny at the front steps of the school, which her son climbs with the canny look of a seasoned pro. Is Mom really as worried as she looks--or is the boy projecting his fears onto her in order to maintain his persona as a confident "big boy"? Although some readers may suspect the latter--especially when the boy has his own brief blue period at the kindergarten threshold--Yum isn't telling. And therein lies the joy of this inventively styled, deeply empathic book. Ages 4-7. Agent: Sean McCarthy, Sheldon Fogelman Agency. (July)

PreS-K--This book is a delightfully helpful twist on kids' apprehensions as they make their first foray into the classroom. It shows that their parents are nervous, too, via endearing artwork that conveys emotions through color and size. In the beginning, the young boy is drawn larger and much more robust than his mom, glowing with healthy color and moving with excitement and energy. His mother appears tiny and blue and timid, barely peeking out over the covers on her bed and curling up behind her son's backpack. When she is greeted by another parent, a rosy tint begins to show on her face, indicating she feels better about this new adventure. Then it's the son's turn to be small again, and the blue shadow of apprehension creeps across his face. His new teacher is kind, though, and he marches independently into the room, ruddy in complexion and strong-limbed. Poor Mom is blue as she waves good-bye and as she anxiously waits for her son at the end of the day. When they reunite, both are blooming with warm colors-until, that is, the little boy asks if he can ride the bus the next day. Humorously, the mom shrinks a tad and turns blue (and maybe a bit green). This sweet, endearing book provides an extraordinary opportunity for parents and children to share their mutual fears and reassure one another as the big day approaches. Fantastic.--Alyson Low, Fayetteville Public Library, AR

"In the enchanting world of Hyewon Yum ('There Are No Scary Wolves, ' 'The Twins' Blanket'), parents are the frantic ones while children remain calm and confident. Mostly. Here, Mom worries that the school is big and that her 5-year-old could get lost. 'Mom, it's not that big, ' he tells her. 'I think it's just right for a big boy like me.' But by the time they arrive at the classroom, his bright pink cheeks have faded to blue, and he has literally shrunk in size. Their roles flip back and forth until, at the end of the day, the boy assures his nervous mother that school is 'awesome.' So is yet another book by Yum." —The New York Times Book Review

"This sweet, endearing book provides an extraordinary opportunity for parents and children to share their mutual fears and reassure one another as the big day approaches. Fantastic." —School Library Journal

..".a charming, sensitive and fresh-feeling antidote for this fraught time." —The Wall Street Journal

"Yum's (Last Night, rev. 1/09; The Twins' Blanket, rev. 9/11) breezy illustrations are spot on, the mom's baby-boy-blue tint aptly reflecting the story's small-child anxiety." —Horn Book, starred

"Yum has perfectly captured the emotional ups and downs of both parent and child in a visually expressive work that will shore up adults as they send their children off on that momentous day." —Kirkus, starred

"[an] inventively styled, deeply empathic book." —Publishers Weekly, starred