Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! [Hardcover]

Nancy Carlson (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

It's the first day of kindergarten, and Henry is raring to go. First he gets dressed and eats a good breakfast. Then he and mom are off to school. Henry knows he's going to have a busy day: there will be stories to hear, letters and numbers to learn, songs to sing, and friends to make. But when Henry gets to school, it looks scary and for a moment he's not sure he's ready for kindergarten. What Henry soon discovers, though, is that he's been ready all along, and that the only thing he's not ready for is how much fun kindergarten is going to be!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-When Henry wakes up on the first day of school and announces that he is ready for kindergarten, his mom gently reminds him of the things he needs to do to prepare: get washed, brush teeth, get dressed, eat a nutritious breakfast, and pack supplies. On the walk to school, mother and son discuss what Henry might expect during the course of his day. Since he has already done some of these activities at home, he is confident he'll do well. When he arrives and sees the new faces and surroundings, however, his confidence vanishes and he declares, "I want to go home." It is only after he makes a friend and finds some familiar objects that he decides to give kindergarten a conditional try. Carlson employs her familiar art style to depict Henry's mouse family and his fellow animal kindergartners in large, brightly colored cartoons placed about the text. When Henry imagines himself working at home or school, the illustrations have a rounded, thought-balloon outline. The classroom is a cheery, welcoming place, and the story will reassure youngsters who are both eager for and apprehensive about their first school experience. Pair this title with Joseph Slate's Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten (Dutton, 1996), which looks at preparations from the teacher's perspective.
Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community-Technical College, CT
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

It is Henry's first day of kindergarten, the day he's been waiting for all year, and he is so excited he almost forgets to get dressed, brush his teeth, and eat breakfast. All the way to school, he asks what it will be like, imagining all the fun he will have. But when he arrives, it is bigger than he pictured and a little overwhelming. He wants to go home. After getting a chance to acclimate and meet a new friend, he decides that kindergarten really will be fun. Carlson's story is perfect for parents to share with their children or for preschool story hour, and the endearing Henry will offer reassurance to even the most hesitant of prekindergartners. Helen Rosenberg

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile; First Edition edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670035971
• ISBN-13: 978-0670883783
• ASIN: 0670883786
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,118,395 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

This year illustrator and author Nancy Carlson published her 44th children's book. Her specialty is teaching kids to feel good about themselves and others.Kids, parents, teachers and even book critics think she does a great job. That's because she is never out of touch with the kid spirit inside herself. Her brightly colored pencil drawings perfectly capture the happy-go-lucky characters that fill her clever and funny books. There is a life lesson to be learned from each story.Nancy decided at age five to be an artist. As a child, Nancy would sit on her bed and draw for hours. "I began creating characters and telling stories through my drawings," Nancy said. "I always had the need to communicate something through my art." Her early love of comic books influenced her style of drawing and use of color.A graduate of the Minneapolis College of Art, Nancy has kept alive a youthful zest for life. Readers and book reviewers alike are charmed by her jazzy yet childlike drawings done with bright colored pencils. In all 42 books and four stage plays, she uses well-placed humor in words and pictures to tickle the funny bone of children and their parents.Humorous childhood experiences from her own life growing up in Minneapolis and from the escapades of her three children provide themes for stories. Most of her books feature animal characters that show the funny side of people. Nancy's two dogs, cat and a guinea pig are a source of inspiration.Nancy Carson lives in Bloomington, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis. She and her husband, Barry McCool, have three children, two dogs, and a cat. Nancy loves nature and spends as much time outdoors as possible, running, biking and birdwatching. Besides writing and illustrating children's books, she designs posters, t-shirts, caps, greeting cards and other specialty items, which are marketed across the country through McCool Unlimited, Inc. and available though Nancy's on-line catalogue.Readers say they recognize themselves and their friends in the characters who triumph over everyday situations.Each story helps young readers deal with life's little problems, while teaching the basic values of honesty, determination and self-confidence.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beginning Kindergarten, May 26, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! (Hardcover)

I am a Kindergarten Teacher and my students loved reading this book. It is a great way to introduce the school year. Parents this is also a great book to read to your little one as they begin school-it discuss first day of school jitters and excitement. Nancy Carlson does a wonderful job!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Bad illustrations, August 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

I found this book to be trite and predictable. It could help children and parents to prepare for Kindergarten, but so could many other books that are better, such as the Miss Bindergarten books or The Night Before Kindergarten. I understand that young children need simple, colorful books, but the illustrations in Look Out Kindergarten just did not do it for me. I myself have little visual art ability, but feel I could have illustrated this book better. Being a librarian, I know that preschool age children need great illustrations to enhance their listening; this book was a large disappointment.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars For Younger children, August 31, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come (Picture Puffins) (Paperback)

I bought this book for my almost five year old granddaughter who is about to enter kindergarten and found it to be below her comprehension and appreciation standards. Her younger sister who is 2 seemed to enjoy it.