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That dreaded, anticipated, exciting, scary first day of school. Parents of first-time preschoolers or kindergarteners know too well the complicated mix of emotions that kids (and moms and dads) grapple with in expectation of that childhood milestone. A bevy of books exist to allay first-day fears and get children set to enjoy their introduction to classroom learning, and
Flemish artist/author Liesbet Slegers' charmingly simple Kevin Goes to School from "The On My Way Books" quartet (the other three deal with overnights, hospitals, and trips) is a splendid get-ready book.
Endearing apple-cheeked Kevin is happy to be on his way with his mom, lunchbox in hand. But trepidation begins to set in when Mom talks to his new teacher, escalating to full-fledged panic when she leaves.
Kevin isn't the only kid shedding a tear over not knowing anyone once Mom is gone; Ali, the boy sitting next to Kevin, is sad, too. But when the teacher puts on a puppet show, then shows everyone how to make paper hats, Kevin and Ali are all smiles as they bond first over snacktime milk then building a block tower together.
When Kevin's mom arrives and tells him it's time to go home, Kevin's expression reads clear surprise at how the time has flown. He bids his teacher, Ali and everyone else goodbye, happy to say "See you tomorrow!"
Slegers' bright, simple forms in acrylic imbue Kevin with a lively ebullience - a credit to her remarkable talent is the ease with which she conveys emotion in a face with two dots for eyes and an underlined "v" for a nose. Her uncanny perception of a child's-eye view of the world is made especially clear by the differences between adults and children in her illustrations; Kevin's mom and teacher are only visible from the waist down, the rest of their bodies unseeable above the frame of each panel. All in all a sweet, lively companion kids can trust to chase the first-day jitters away.
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Kevin Goes to School