Where to Begin with “Back to School” Picture Books?

Morning alarms are set once again. Backpacks burst with new notebooks and freshly sharpened pencils. School buses buzz around town. “First day of school” photos saturate social media. Teachers and caregivers alike peruse library and bookshelf displays for tried-and-true fan favorites and hot-off-the-press fresh new spins on all-things “Back to School” and “all-the-feels” kids experience this time of year. As an instructional coach, I work with many teachers and hundreds of students. Which means … I get to see what everyone is reading to their students this fall. And what kind of kidlit comrade would I be if I didn’t share this knowledge with you? 

For the littlest learners…

Let’s resurrect a gem, shall we? A Place Called Kindergarten by Jessica Harper is an absolutely adorable story that addresses Kindergarten as the “great unknown.” Think about it…at Preschool Graduation, kids sing songs about heading off to Kindergarten. All summer, friends and relatives say things like, “Oh my gosh! You’re going to Kindergarten, that’s so exciting!” The message is loud and clear – this mysterious place called Kindergarten is a big deal. Young readers will breathe a sigh of relief along with Tommy’s barnyard friends when Tommy finally returns from school and excitedly recounts his fun-filled day in Kindergarten. A place called Amazon

The little-kid list would be left amiss without a word from everyone’s favorite Llama. In, Llama Llama Back to School by Anna Dewdney (Viking Books for Young Readers, 2022), Llama Llama needs some support and encouragement from Mama Llama and his classmates to help him transition from his epically fun summer to the rules and routines of school. Transitions are tough for lots of kids. And grown-ups too. I feel you, Llama Llama. Click here to show support for Llama.

Social and Emotional Learning…

In my district, the first “block” of the day in every K-5 classroom is for SEL, which almost always involves a read-aloud. Classroom community and expectations are the foundation for all the other subjects in a school day. Many themes fall under the SEL umbrella and there are hundreds of wonderful books to share with children. One of my favorites is The Smallest Spot of a Dot: The Little Ways We’re Different, The Big Ways We’re the Same (Zonderkidz 2023), a sweet story written in rhyming prose by bestselling children’s author, Emmy-winning correspondent, and host for ABC News Linsey Davis (co-authored by Michael Tyler). Together, the pair of authors manage to explain the role genetics plays in our differences and similarities in child-friendly language. I know, right?!? How can you not check this one out?

Even with the best of intentions, sometimes our accolades might make someone feel worse instead of better. Huh? Not an easy concept for kids to understand. No one explains it better than James and Lucy Cathpole in their Spring 2024 release, “You’re SO Amazing!” (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.) Directly from Amazon: This companion to What Happened to You? addresses the assumptions people make about those with disabilities in an accessible, honest, and funny way. Based on James Catchpole’s childhood experiences and written with his wife, Lucy, a wheelchair user, You’re SO Amazing! encourages young readers to think of disability the way disabled people do: as normal. Reading this book will be SO amazing!

Turn that Frown Upside Down…

When in doubt, silly is the best way to shake out the “scaries” and Chairs on Strike by Jennifer Jones (publisher unlisted, 2021) will certainly do the trick. This book is the first of what became a twenty-book series! They’re all funny, rhyming read-alouds, but this particular book comes with a warning: it contains the word ‘fart’”. Nothing is more comical to the littles than potty-talk. (Boogers are a close second.) So glad it’s not the TEACHERS on strike!

I’m a sucker for meta and silly and “You’re Going to Love this Book” by New York Times–bestselling author Jory John and internationally acclaimed illustrator Olivier Tallec (Farrar, Straus and Giroux 2024) is mega-meta-silly! There is no way this book won’t make readers smile. It has homework in it, for heaven’s sake! What kid doesn’t love homework? You’re going to ORDER this book!

Do you have a favorite back-to-school book? Share in the comments below.