First Day Jitters? Picture Books to Get You Ready for School
The day you begin
Woodson, Jacqueline, author
2018
Other students laugh when Rigoberto, an immigrant from Venezuela, introduces himself but later, he meets Angelina and discovers that he is not the only one who feels like an outsider.
First day critter jitters
John, Jory, author
2020
It's almost the first day of school, and the animals are nervous. Sloth worries about getting there on time, snake can't seem to get his backpack fastened onto his body, and bunny is afraid she'll want to hop around instead of sitting still. When they all arrive at their classroom, though, they're in for a surprise: Somebody else is nervous too. It's their teacher, the armadillo! He has rolled in as a ball, and it takes him a while to relax and unfurl. But by the next day, the animals have all figured out how to help one another through their jitters. School isn't so scary after all.
The King of kindergarten
Barnes, Derrick, author
2019
Instilled with confidence by his parents, a young boy has a great first day of kindergarten.
The night before first grade
Wing, Natasha.
2005
Penny's excitement over the start of first grade turns to sadness when she and her best friend are placed different classrooms, but they make the best of it--and some new friends--in this poem based on "The Night Before Christmas."
The queen of kindergarten
Barnes, Derrick, author
2022
Instilled with confidence by her parents, a young girl has a great first day of kindergarten.
So big!
Wohnoutka, Mike, author, illustrator
2019
Just when a little bear starts to feel overwhelmed on his first day of school, he meets a new friend, and together they find the courage to overcome their fear.
VIP : very important preschooler
Jin, Cindy, author.
2022
This fun rhyming story, follow five special VIPs on each day of the school week as they highlight all the reasons why they're a very important preschooler...[and] the importance of being kind to your friends, doing the right thing, and being a good leader.
We don't eat our classmates
Higgins, Ryan T., author, illustrator
2018
When the class pet bites the finger of Penelope, a tyrannosaurus rex, she finally understands why she should not eat her classmates, no matter how tasty they are.