Whether your child is doing preschool (or kindergarten) at home or at a school, or just getting into the back-to-school excitement with an older sibling, here is a list of 14 fun, school-themed books to enjoy together. I’m also including a cute school-themed I Spy game that makes counting lots of fun!
School Stories:
1. The Night Before Preschool by Natasha Wing — written in a rhyming style similar to Clement Moore’s The Night Before Christmas, this is a cute read for those who want to know what to expect at preschool. The little boy in the story is too nervous to sleep, but he learns that preschool is tons of fun and he can’t wait to go back the next day 🙂
2. Click, Clack, Quack to School by Doreen Cronin — for those who are nervous that school isn’t going to be much fun, the farm animals show that school is lots of fun and everyone has great time. The animals’ antics as they prepare to visit the school will have your child giggling.
3. The Pigeon Has to Go School by Mo Willems — Even pigeons get worried about starting school (who knew?). The pigeon worries about everything, including worrying about learning too much! Kids will find themselves laughing at the pigeon’s over-the-top reactions and will subtly find that, just like the pigeon, they might not need to worry so much themselves. All around great read, even for those who aren’t worried about school.
4. King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes — This story is a great confidence booster. No need to worry about the first day of school; you got this, because you are the king of kindergarten! In this book, the parents help build up their child’s self-confidence and ease school worries away.
5. Time for School, Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle — this is a new book in the Little Blue Truck series and this time, Little Blue gets to help a young piggy who missed the bus. Preschoolers will love Little Blue’s kindness in this beautifully illustrated, rhyming book.
6. Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London — Froggy is adorable. These books are always a fun read, with vibrant pictures, a lot of fun sounds to make, and an enthusiastic story. I have always enjoyed reading Froggy to my preschool storytime group at the library and to my own son because the stories lend themselves so well to movement activities.
7. Lola Goes to School by Anna McQuinn — I LOVE the Lola books! They are super cute, show such positive family relationships, have great pictures, and are relatively short stories. Lola shows how much school can be in this story. She gets her own cubby to store her things, gets to choose fun activities, plays with new friends, and gets a yummy snack. Soon it’s time to go home!
8. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn — In this sweet story, a little raccoon is scared to start school. Little ones can relate to the racoon’s fears of being away from home. Mama racoon has a great solution; she kisses his hand so that he can bring her love with him. This story is just so touching — be prepared to get teary-eyed as you read it! It’s a reassuring story both kids and parents.
9. Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney — this book really tugged at my emotions. It’s also hard for us parents to be separated from our kids when school starts! Told in rhyming text, this book explores the fears many kids face on the first day of school.
10. Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin — Pete the Cat is a preschool / kindergarten fan favorite! This is one of the first Pete the Cat books and it is a fun, sing-songy story with less words than the later stories. You will get caught up in Pete’s enthusiasm for school and find yourselves singing along.
11. I Got the School Spirit by Connie Schofield-Morrison — want to get pepped up and excited for school? well then this is the book for you! The vibrant pictures and the sensory sound words will capture preschoolers’ attentions. “She hears the school spirit in the bus driving up the street–VROOM, VROOM!–and in the bell sounding in the halls–RING-A-DING!” It’s a fun, sensory experience to get excited for the new school year.
12. We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins — Ryan T. Higgins is so talented as both an author and an illustrator. In this funny story, Penelope, a T. Rex, is nervous about her first day of school. Her nerves get the better of her during the day and she ends up eating a classmate — don’t worry, the student is fine! Penelope’s parents help ease her fears and she returns to school the next day, ready to try again!
13. If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff — this is a fun book that goes through the typical school supplies/things you’d see in a classroom. Like the other books in this, it’s a silly story that little ones will enjoy. Bonus, it is a great introduction to sequencing and kids won’t even realize that they’re learning as they are so engrossed in the story.
14. School’s First Day of School by Adam Rex — A brand new elementary school is anxiously awaiting the first day of school! What will the children be like? What will they be doing at school? Will they like school? The school was filled with questions. On the first day of school, the school couldn’t believe how many children there were! The school learned what the different rooms were for and listened in on some jokes at lunch and lessons in the classroom and ended up having a fantastic day! Now the school can’t wait for everyone to back again tomorrow for more fun!
Enjoy How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jean Reagan: https://youtu.be/v2JC7vmypEI
Check you library for these school-themed books! You can also purchase them on Amazon through the links provided. If you happen to purchase a book through my links, I get a small percentage of the sale to help support this site.
Activity for The Kissing Hand —
Make a hand and kiss out of Play-Doh to go along with the story!
