Getting ready for the first day of school? These essential children’s books about starting school will help your kids prep for the next big stage in their young lives: going back to school. (This post contains affiliate links.)

This is a big year in our family: It’s the first day of preschool for Kiwi and the first day of kindergarten for Peeper. (How did they get so big?!) Peeper is absolutely jazzed about starting school—in fact, the other day she asked when fall was, and when my answer wasn’t soon enough she started crying.

When you ask Kiwi how she feels about starting school, though, her response is more mixed (and impressively nuanced for a 3-year-old): She says, “I’m excited but also little bit scared.”

That ambivalence about a new experience is totally understandable—and probably very familiar to you, if you have kids getting ready for their first day of school.

That’s why we’ve been reading these children’s books about starting school. They’re silly, fun and relatable. These children’s books about starting school are also a perfect opportunity to talk through what to expect—and to discuss the mixed feelings your kids might have about the first day of school.

So request these from the library or order them on Amazon Prime. You and your kids will love reading these books about starting school—I know we have.

Good luck, parents!

Our favorite books about starting school

Monstergarten, by Daniel J. Mahoney. “What if I’m not scary enough?” This young monster’s anxiety before the first day of monster school is silly enough to get your kid to laugh but also identifiable. (After all, what kid doesn’t worry that they won’t be funny, friendly, smart or something else enough?) Luckily, the monster mom’s message—”Just be yourself”—pays off on the first day of Monstergarten. This is a reassuring (and funny!) book to read the night before school starts.

 

School’s First Day of School, by Adam Rex. Apparently, kids aren’t the only ones who get nervous about the first day of school! This adorable and cheerfully illustrated book shares the first day of school from an actual school’s perspective. The building starts off expecting not to like it—and when kids are rude, or slam doors, or spill water, the school thinks it was right. Then the school notices a kind—but lonely—little girl, and things start to change. I love how the school talks with the janitor, expressing how it feels (and how it changes its mind). But most of all, I love that this children’s book about starting school encourages kids to think from someone else’s perspective, which develops empathy. Your kids might even notice someone who is more nervous than they are—and then reach out as a friend.

K is for Kindergarten, by Erin Dealey. The tried-and-true format of “A is for…” totally works in this book about starting kindergarten. I love that Dealey drums up excitement about starting school without discounting the real and ambivalent feelings young kids might have. (“J is for jitters,”) for example. What really sets this children’s book about starting school apart, though, are the notes on the sides of pages. There are suggestions of activities for kids who haven’t yet started and separate suggestions for kids already in kindergarten. These exercises are designed for kids to work through what to expect, what they’re excited for or nervous about, and conversation prompts.

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School, by Lauren Child. My kids and I love the Charlie and Lola series, and this book about starting school is no exception. In it, Older Sister Charlie tells Lola about all the things she’ll get to learn and do once she begins school, but Lola has an excuse for just about every one of them. In the end, though, Lola comes around to the idea of joining school. It turns out she and Charlie had nothing to worry about! With Child’s signature mixed-media illustrations and perfect way of capturing children’s dialogue, this fun—and absolutely relatable—children’s book about starting school will help your kids overcome some of their first day jitters.

Biscuit Goes to School, by Alyssa Satin Capucilli. My kids love Biscuit, the yellow, adorable puppy who is the star of a whole series of I Can Read books. These simple stories are told with short sentences perfect for kids who are ready to start reading. In this great book about starting school, Biscuit doesn’t want to be left behind and so hitches a ride in his girl’s backpack. Even though pets aren’t allowed in school (which is something I have to remind my own girls of!), Biscuit has a great time at recess, story time, lunch and more. This book is a great starting point for talking about the different parts of school, and showing a new class isn’t scary—but a fun place to explore and learn!

How to Get Your Teacher Ready, by Jean Reagan. The first day of school can be a bit scary—even for teachers! This children’s book about starting school flips the usual nervous kids narrative on its head, putting kids in the position to soothe anxiety and show someone new around. As the book says, “Your teacher knows a lot, but not everything.” Kids love having an opportunity to act like grown-ups and help, and this book shares lots of suggestions for making a teacher feel at home at school, like showing her where the bathroom is and tying her art smock before she spills paint. I also like this book because it introduces special school activities, from picture day and a school concert to field day and teacher appreciation day.

What the Dinosaurs Did At School, by Refe and Susan Tuma. The premise of this book—that toys are actually alive and just wait for all the humans to leave so they can have hilarious, messy fun—is like rocket fuel for kids’ imagination. In this silly children’s books, plastic dinosaurs (and other toys) get up to some serious mischief once everyone goes home from school. They experiment in the science room, make a gigantic feast in the lunch room, play with school supplies, get creative in art class and many more adventures. They even go spelunking in the air ducts! Each page is another photograph staged with actual plastic dinosaurs, which adds an extra dose of believability to this book. Your kids will look at their toys in a whole new way after reading this dinosaur book!

The Night Before Kindergarten, by Natasha Wing. This book about starting school riffs off the Night Before Christmas rhyme your kids are probably already familiar with. One thing I like about this children’s book is that it includes some of the morning of the first school day routine, including taking first day photos! The kids also try to take blankies and stuffed animals, expecting to nap at school, which gives you an opportunity to discuss what will be different from preschool or daycare. The end of the book includes a surprise—your kids will laugh at who, exactly, ends up sad and crying when it’s time to say good-bye!

This School Year Will Be the Best! by Kay Winters. One thing I love about this book about starting school is that it models setting intentions, which can make a big difference in how kids—and adults!—experience something new. In it, a teacher asks her class what they wish for in the school year. Their responses are both simple and sweet as well as outrageous. The illustrations that accompany each wish are sure to make your kids laugh, like when the principal kisses a pig, or when teachers skateboard down the school stairs! Other wishes are plain relatable—one child wishes she will make friends. This book also gives an opportunity to talk about parts of school that sometimes don’t come up, like the school play or taking a class pet home for the holidays.

First Day Jitters, by Julie Danneberg. This book totally normalizes the anxious feeling of starting school on the first day. “I don’t want to start over again!” says Sarah, who is reluctant to go to a new school, where she doesn’t know anyone. It shares an argument between Sarah and her father, which may sound very familiar to you if you have a reluctant child! She tries to get out of going by finding all sorts of excuses, and it describes some feelings your kid might feel but not be able to define—clammy hands, nauseous stomach—that are hallmarks to feeling nervous on the first day. The end of this children’s book about the first day of school contains a hilarious twist, but I won’t spoil it. You’ll have to read it to find out!

The Things I Love About School, by Trace Moroney. Especially for kids who are more on the nervous/scared end of the spectrum when it comes to starting school, this book will spark excitement about the first day. As the adorable bunny says, “I really love to try new things. Sometimes it’s the things I think I’m not going to like that I end up liking the most.” The bunny talks about all the best parts of school, from academics like learning new words, to pure fun like crafting beautiful art projects. The bunny also talks about what you’ll find in a classroom, which is helpful for kids who are just starting out and might not know what to expect on the first day of school.

The Kissing Hand, by Audrey Penn. This classic is a must-read for a reason: The comfort kids get from doing the kissing hands themselves is real. We read this book before Peeper started preschool two years ago, and I can’t even count the number of times she and I gave each other a kissing hand during a difficult drop-off. In this book about starting school, a little raccoon doesn’t want to go to a forest school—it would much rather stay home with Mom. Then the mom raccoon shares a secret: the kissing hand. When you kiss the palm of your loved one’s hand, a kiss stays there, and it will never wash off. Read this with your kids before their first day of school, and if they have a hard time saying goodbye, kiss the palm of their hand. Just don’t forget to get your own kissing hand—you might need it when you miss them!

Kindergarten, Here I Come! by D.J. Steinberg. Meeting new people and doing something new can be intimidating, but this children’s book about starting school makes kindergarten seem fun! It introduces aspects of school like lunch boxes and sitting crisscross applesauce in a hilariously silly way. Even things your kids will expect—like meeting their new teacher—get special treatment. (Wait, is the teacher magical? How else would she know your name—and know you’re so smart?!) My favorite part of the book is the section on best friends, which does such a great job of showing the reality of kids swapping friends every 10 seconds.

Best of luck to you and your littles as you start school! I’ll check back in after our own first day to share how Peeper and Kiwi—and I!—did.

If you’re homeschooling—or if you’re just wanting some super-fun and educational activity ideas—click on over to my Homeschool section. Or if you want more lists about our favorite books, check out my What We’re Reading section. And don’t forget to let me know what children’s books are your favorites!