Review: I Don't Want to Go to School

Summary: A book to ease those first-day jitters!

“No way!” is Simon’s mantra when his parents tell him that tomorrow is his first day of school. After he tries to convince himself that he is not scared, Simon calls for help from Mom and Dad, who assure him that he will learn a lot, meet new friends, and have a great day at school. And they may just be right! After a day of drawing, playing, eating, resting, and making music, Mom tells Simon that it’s time to go home. His answer? “No way!” Author-illustrator Stephanie Blake has created a lovable character in Simon the Super Rabbit, whose cautious approach to something new will feel familiar for parents and children alike. -- Random House

I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL by Stephanie Blake is just the perfect little book for the youngster in your life who is getting ready to start school. Simon the Super Rabbit is scared to go to school; however, his parents keep assuring him that everything is going to be okay. I love how the author incorporated humor into what is often times a very scary time for little kids. I think children are going to react very positively to this book.

My almost five year old son certainly enjoyed I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL. He had a great time reading it with me and even participated when Simon kept telling his parents, "No Way!" After just a few pages, my little guy would fill in the words "No Way!" when I stopped reading. It was just too cute! And he couldn't help but giggle each and every time he said it.

Besides the story, my son really liked the illustrations. I have to side with him on this one because the pictures in this book are adorable. Simon appears as a masked super-hero on the cover of the book, and I think my son instantly felt an affinity with him. As we read the story and Simon's behavior became more extreme, the illustrations showed his very silly facial expressions. The pictures really do tell the story and show Simon's fears and insecurities.

As a mother, I really liked this book too. It was clear that it resonated with my son; however, I also appreciated the message that it sends to kids. I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL shows that it's okay to be scared to start a new school. And while Simon's parents tried to tell him in many different ways that it would be fine, he wasn't entirely sure. It wasn't until Simon attended school for himself that he realized just how much fun it was.

I recommend this book to anyone who has a little one starting school. My son is heading back to his preschool next year, but you can bet that I'm going to be pulling this book out again before he heads to kindergarten the following year. I also think it's a wonderful book for teachers to add to their storybook collection; and it just might be perfect to read at either an orientation or even the first day of classes.

I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL is available today -- July 14, 2009. A big thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy of the book.