Barbara Kagan
While starting daycare and preschool can be tough on little ones, they’re typically too young to be anxious before it actually happens. But starting kindergarten is different. By that age, kids are very aware they are on the verge of something big, even though they may not be able to fully understand or be confident about it -- old enough to feel the anxiety, yet unable to make sense of it or express their feelings. This is where we find five-year-old Nicky. While he’s heard about all the new and exciting things waiting for him, in his gut he’s still 'not so sure about kindergarten.'This book is for kids facing what Nicky is facing. Nicky works through his doubts with help from his friend’s older brother, and lands on a 'worrying doesn’t actually help' realization...and on the first day of school, he discovers that kindergarten is actually great. What distinguishes this story from the many other starting school anxiety books is that reassurance comes from a peer, just a few years older, and not from a parent, teacher, or other adult. We see Nicky actively processing and choosing to let go of his worry rather than just having it soothed away.The beautiful, child-painted illustrations also set this book apart in the respect it shows its audience by depicting characters who actually look like kindergarten kids, rather than cartoonish-looking children or cute stuffed animals that smile, frown, walk, and talk. Following Nicky through the relatable process of adjusting to the big changes that are coming provides children better insight into what they’re experiencing and the comfort of seeing there are other kids feeling the same way they are.
