I Don't Want to Go To School! [Hardcover]

Stephanie Blake (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K—This story features a big-eared bunny who wears a superhero-type mask and cape. When his mother and father try to tell him how much fun he will have at school, Simon shouts, "No way!" This response is repeated throughout the story. Of course, when he finally does get to school and participates in all the fun activities, he changes his mind. And when his mother returns to take him home, he answers, "No way!" The bright primary colors set a cheerful mood, which contrasts with the younster's fear. Although his parents have a reassuring tone, Simon's standard answer becomes grating after a while, and the ending is predictable. Katie Davis's Kindergarten Rocks! (Harcourt, 2005) has a similar theme and is more fun.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT
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About the Author

Stephanie Blake’s passion for writing and illustrating began in childhood when she created books for her brothers and sisters as birthday presents. As a child, she also fell in love with the books of Dr. Seuss, Ludwig Bemelmans, and William Steig. After moving to France, she discovered other writers and artists whose work continued to inspire her stories and drawings. The author and illustrator of dozens of books in France, Stephanie Blake makes her American picture-book debut with I Don’t Want to Go to School! She lives in Paris.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers (July 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375856889
• ISBN-13: 978-0375856884
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 0.3 x 11.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,127,391 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Helps Kids Deal with Fears, July 14, 2009

By 

Julie Peterson "Booking Mama" (Central PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I Don't Want to Go To School! (Hardcover)

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.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fine easy reader, August 21, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Don't Want to Go To School! (Hardcover)

Stephanie Blake's I DON'T WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL! features Simon the rabbit, who is determined NOT to go to school. Simon's favorite admonition is "no way!" but he learns to face his fears in this fine easy reader.

2.0 out of 5 stars Sorry, I don't like this one. There are better books out there., October 29, 2011

By 

Babie - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: I Don't Want to Go To School! (Hardcover)

Save your money and buy Spot goes to school or Corduroy goes to school instead.
This one is just a waste for me.