Kindergarten Diary
PreSchool-K Imaginative, spirited Annalina narrates a month of days in her life, beginning with the day before she starts kindergarten. What makes this book special is that the author doesn't deliver a long list of Annalina's misgivings, which often give young readers extra fodder to stress about. This child simply says that she likes preschool and thinks Big School might be filled with Big Kids (What if they're mean?). The next thing readers see, there she is in room 2K, where a diverse group of children smile, wave, and look a little sleepy. Hardly anybody cried. In the following entries, the youngsters learn that the teacher isn't scary, that kindergarteners have their very own playground, that sharing is not only possible but also fun, and that nice things happen every day. The background for each page resembles the paper children use to practice their first writing white with widely spaced, light blue straight and dotted lines. Realistic and gorgeously patterned collage items outlined in black are mingled with simple paintings to create an explosion of color, shape, and texture. The narrative and illustrations are gently funny and filled with little details and jokes, enabling children to find something new with each reading.Kindergarten Diaryholds its own amid an impressive assortment of cheery salves for pre-K nerves.Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NYCopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.