The Best Books for Starting Kindergarten! (2024)

Mr. S

By Monica Arnaldo

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

The King of Kindergarten

By Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

The Queen of Kindergarten

By Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Kindergarten: Where Kindness Matters Every Day

By Vera Ahiyya and illustrated by Joey Chou

What an absolutely darling story about a kindergarten class creating their Kindness Pledge on the first day of school! Leo isn’t quite ready for the first day of kindergarten, and he certainly doesn’t know how to express to his new teacher or classmates how to express kindness. He feels especially bad when he realizes the other students in his class have many ideas. Turns out, Leo may not have the right words to talk about kindness, but he certainly knows how to show it as evidenced by his genuine actions throughout the school day. This is a reassuring first day of school book and will work wonders to have children thinking about all the ways they kind be kind and helpful in the classroom.

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

The Kissing Hand

By Audrey Penn

Going to school for the first time (and leaving a parent behind!) can be tough with a capital T, but this book helps alleviate worries! Here, one smart mama gives her little raccoon the perfect trick to combat the separation blues before he heads to his new classroom. After reading this story, my boys always remember that wherever they go, I’m always with them, even if not physically present. I can’t even recall how many times I have reminded them to make use of their kissing hands – it has become so ingrained in our routines. See our full reviewThe Kissing Hand Book here!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

Wemberly Worried

By Kevin Henkes

From spilling her juice to snakes in the radiator, poor Wemberly worries about everything. But there’s one thing Wemberly worries about most: the first day of school! When Wemberly begins her new year, she meets a fellow worrier in her class and realizes that maybe she has nothing to worry about after all. We just adore Kevin Henkes work and the way he writes so authentically from a child’s perspective!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous: A First-Day-of-School Dilemma

By Keith Calabrese and Juana Medina

The first day of kindergarten is a big day! And in this adorable book, one little girl approaches her first day of school in a novel manner. After all, it’s not Lena who is nervous about the big day, but her shoes! Will Lena be able to help her shoes overcome their jitters about starting school? Who knew shoes could be so shy? This book is just adorable!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

All Are Welcome

By Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman

This is one of our favorite books about the first day of school because of the way it so beautifully celebrates students from all corners of the world as they enter a diverse and inclusive school. This lovely book conveys the vital message that all children are welcome within their classrooms and school communities. It offers the perfect message as we enter a new school year and shows all children beginning kindergarten that they have a safe place in their new space.

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten

By Joseph Slate and illustrated by Ashley Wolff

This is a darling book that shows how Miss Bindergarten is getting ready for her new class of kindergarteners — twenty-six students to be exact, one for each letter of the alphabet! This is such a fun book to help kids get ready for the first day of school while also working on their letter recognition as well.

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

The Night Before Kindergarten

By Natasha Wing and illustrated by Julie Durrell

This is a darling take on the classic poem “The Night Before Christmas,” with kids getting prepared, and feeling a bit scared, about starting kindergarten. As the characters pack their bags, pose for photos, and say goodbye to mom and dad, they definitely feel those first-day jitters. But when they get to their new classroom, they’ll discover that kindergarten is so much fun!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

Planet Kindergarten

By Sue Ganz-Schmitt and illustrated by Shane Prigmore

Prepare your young ones to get ready to explore a part of the galaxy they have never explored before. Planet Kindergarten, that is! This is a delightful way to ease kids into their new experience, allowing them to pretend they are explorers of a bold new frontier. It will help nervous little ones recognize that their kindergarten journey will surely be out of this world!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

Your Name is a Song

By Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Luisa Uribe

This is such an important book about beginning school, especially for children who get nervous about their unique names and identities. We love this stunning story for the way it helps children see the inherent beauty in each and every name, no matter how difficult it may be for teachers or classmates to pronounce. Beautifully written and illustrated, this affirming book ensures no child feels shunned or mocked as a result of his or her name, and instead celebrates the brilliance and importance of names, no matter how common or unique they may be.

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

Mae’s First Day of School

By Kate Berube

When Mae’s first day of school arrives, she is scared. The other kids may not like her. She may be the only one who can’t write. In fact, Mae becomes so scared that she decides she simply will not go, and when she gets to school she decides to hide — up in a tree! In hiding, she discovers she may not be the only one nervous about starting kindergarten – and kids will love the surprising twist this story offers to readers. We love the way this tender story respects the fears many children battle as they begin a new school year and gently reminds kids that they aren’t alone with their nerves. Other students, and even teachers, get anxious too. We just adore Kate Berube’s style, and her book,Hannah and Sugar, is a forever favorite!

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

Danbi Leads The School Parade

By Anna Kim

Though Danbi is excited to attend her new school in America, she’s also nervous and feels like she can’t do anything right in her new class. When she walks into her classroom for the very first time, everyone stares, and poor Danbi feels she does all the wrong things! But then Danbi musters up a whole lot of courage and some inventiveness, too. Before she knows it, Danbi leads her class in a parade, settles her nerves, and even has some fun. We love this story for the way it shows that using your imagination can open your world to new classmates.

BUY THIS BOOK FROM:

Kindergarten Here I Come

By D.J. Steinberg and illustrated by Mark Chambers

This fun story celebrates all of the milestones that a child has throughout the year in kindergarten. From first-day jitters to 100th-day celebrations, this book contains short poems that highlight the best activities that will take place during kindergarten and will show nervous kids what they will do the first year in school.

BUY THIS BOOK FROM: