The start of the school year is here! There's school clothes shopping, the school supply list, a new teacher, maybe even a new school. For some kids the new school year is exciting. My 3 year old nephew has asked where the school bus was ALL summer long so he is certainly one who is eager to start the school year.
But sometimes the start of the school year can also be stressful! Everything is brand new and there are a lot of uncertainties that can make it difficult for your little one, especially if they are starting school for the first time. I've found that one of the best ways to calm children's fear and anxiety is for them to have an idea of what will happen. And a great way to do that is through books. There are TONS of great back to school books. Go to your local bookstore and you will see so many. So, I decided to narrow it down to my top 5 back to school books for you along with a little help from my adorable niece. We had a super fun day picking out books. Here are some of our favorites!
Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes By Eric Litwin
Pete the Cat is "rocking in his school shoes" to school. The book goes through all the places he'll go in his new shoes. This book is adorable and there's a whole series of Pete the Cat books. There's even a song that goes with this book. You can play the song after you read the book and sing along about Pete's new school shoes. My niece highly recommended this one. She said everyone at her school loves the Pete the Cat books and songs. Here a link to the song: Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes
The School Book by Todd Parr
I love this book because it is almost like a visual schedule for what will happen at school. So if your little one really benefits from having a routine and a visual schedule, he/she will love this book.
Llama Llama Misses Mama by Ana Dewdney
It's Llama Llama's first day of preschool and he's nervous to leave mama for the first time.This book is great because it addresses separation anxiety from mama that is common, especially when kids are first starting school. Working in the schools with 2-3 year olds, I've seen my fair share of little ones having trouble transitioning from their parents to school. This book can be a great way to talk to your child about going to school and the great friends they'll make there!
On the First Day of Kindergarten by Tish Rabe
Is it your kiddo's first day of Kindergarten? If so, this book is a great introduction to all the fun activities they'll do on your first day of Kindergarten! I love the illustrations and again it gives them a great visual schedule of what will happen during their day.
The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! By Mo Williams
And last but not least, my niece's all time favorite, The Pigeon HAS to Go to School! If you're not familiar with the Pigeon Book series, it's pretty cute and my niece thinks it's absolutely hilarious. Pigeon isn't so sure why he has to go to school and he has a lot of questions: "What if the teacher doesn't like Pigeons?" What if I learn too much?". Honestly, hearing my niece read the book along with her commentary is probably one of the cutest things I've seen. Going into the First Grade, she's a seasoned pro at school now but this book is still fun for her and gets her excited to go back to school.
There were so many books that my niece and I had a hard time choosing. Even though there were some that didn't make our top 5 favorites, I'm sure there are some out there that would make yours! What are your favorite back to school books?
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