Is your child going to school for the first time? Read these 13 children’s books about going to school to get him excited and ready for the big day.
I’m excited to report that we enrolled our three-year-old in preschool.
He’s adjusting well and describes what he does during the day (“We read Pete the Cat!”) and the projects he works on.
He talks about his friends, what they played and even what they wore (“Paul is the one with the black and white striped shirt.”). I hope he continues to thrive in his new environment.
As I do with major changes in his life, I found children’s books about going to school we can read together to help him sort through any emotions and expectations he may have about entering preschool.
Going to school, whether preschool or kindergarten, can be scary for children. Books and stories talking about their fears and anxieties encourage them to feel more confident. Many of these share school activities your child can be excited about, or the worries many kids can feel about this new stage in their lives.
To get the conversation going, check out my favorite children’s books about going to school:
Children’s books about going to school
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How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jean Regan
This School Year Will Be the BEST! by Kay Winters
The Berenstain Bears Go to School by Stan Berenstain
Maisy Goes to Preschool by Lucy Cousins
Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin
Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London
The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray
The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate (this was a particular favorite, to the point where I had to keep renewing the book from the library because he kept wanting to read it!)
How Do Dinosaurs Go To School? by Jane Yolen
Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney
The Kiss Box by Bonnie Verburg
Rufus Goes to School by Kim T. Griswell
Get more tips:
- What to Do when Your Child Doesn’t Want to Go to School
- 6 Tips to Make Your Morning Routine for School Run Smoothly
- Help Your Child Transition to Preschool (and Calm Your Nerves as Well!)
- Useful Back to School Tips for Parents and Kids
- How to Get Your Child Interested in School
Want even more book selections? Join my newsletter and download my Read Aloud Book List! You’ll get hundreds of favorite selections to read aloud with your kids. Get it below—at no cost to you:
I’m so glad he’s liking it!
He does! Apparently he even has his favorite projects he likes to work on (I think it’s learning to pour water and using sponges).
Stopping by from Pinterest!
These are all great picks, I especially love the Pete the Cat books. I did a similar post a few months ago that you might find interesting. It covers school-themed books for kindergarten through 8th grade.
Hi Katie, thanks for your book list! I’ve added the K-2 ones to my library list 🙂
Thanks for this list! My son will soon be changing schools and I think adding as many of these as we can find in the library will help the transition. We did a quick initial visit of the grounds and he is saying he wants to go there now so I think our transition is off to a good start. So glad to know your little one is enjoying his preschool experience!
Karen, that’s great to hear that Eli wants to go to school… that’s always a good sign! We also did orientation and gradually extended the hours he was there. I’m sure it’ll be normal for a transition period but in the long run I think he sounds good to go 🙂
Another good book is “Llama Llama Misses Mama” by Anna Dewdney. It’s another awesome back-to-school book. Helped Lucas to remember that I can’t be at school with him but that I’ll be waiting for him with a big smile and open arms at the end of the day. Love the Llama Llama series. 🙂
Oooh, thanks, Ana! Gotta check that one out. Yeah, we’ve read a few Llama Llama books but I don’t think that particular one.
Aw, so glad he likes it!!
Yeah and his excitement grows stronger the more he’s accustomed to it, to the point where he asks if it’s 8:30 already so we can leave haha. I’m sure there are days when it can be tough but hopefully being there a few days a week for now helps balance that out.
For my son’s first year of preschool (he started when he turned 3, just like your son), he used to point his teachers out to me and tell me how many green and blue shirts they each owned!
We read several of the books on your list, preparing for school. One other one that we like is “The Kiss Box” 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation, MaryAnne! I’m going to add that to the list.
I remember reading many of these with my girls, especially Miss Bindergarten. You are taking me on a little trip down memory lane. I think reading books with children is a great way to get them comfortable with anything that is on the horizon, so great post.
That’s what I love about books, especially children’s books—they’re so timeless.