FICTION

I Am Ready for School!

by Stephen Krensky (text) & illus. by Sara Gillingham
Abrams/Appleseed. (Empowerment Series). Jul. 2023. 12p. Board $8.99. ISBN 9781419761683.
COPY ISBN
PreS-K–A child with brown skin and hair in two fluffy buns reads a book, lost in the pages, and that’s just the cover. The real opening is like a door, as she enters her classroom, where there are welcoming faces, but hers is full of doubt. There is “Nowhere to hide,” and while “Some kids say hi,” “I still feel shy.” Such simple language for such gigantic emotions—no child will be unmoved by the range of feelings tucked into very few pages.
VERDICT Bright shapes that seemed clipped from construction paper are just as expressive as the few words; this eloquent book wastes no breath on hot air but shows with a ducked head just how huge being ready for school is.
Reviewed by Kimberly Olson Fakih , Jul 01, 2023

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