A confident little boy takes pride in his first day of kindergarten, by the Newbery Honor-winning author of Crown.
Derrick Barnes wrote the critically acclaimed picture book Crown-
An Ode to the Fresh Cut, which received a Newbery Honor, a Coretta
Scott King Honor, and the 2018 Ezra Jack Keats Award. He also wrote
the bestselling chapter book series Ruby and the Booker Boys. He
owns the copy-writing company Say Word Creative Communications and
created the popular blog Raising the Mighty, where he "chronicles
the experience of bringing up four beautiful Black boys in
America." He lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and
their four sons.
Vanessa Brantley-Newton has illustrated numerous picture books,
including The Girl Who Heard Colors (by Marie Harris), Mary Had a
Little Glam (by Tammi Sauer), One Love (by Cedella Marley), A Night
Out with Mama (by Quvenzhane Wallis), and The Youngest Marcher (by
Cynthia Levinson), as well as the chapter book series Ruby and the
Booker Boys (by Derrick Barnes) and Jada Jones (by Kelly Starling
Lyons). She wrote and illustrated Let Freedom Sing and Grandma's
Purse. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina.
* “It’s the first day of kindergarten, and our protagonist is
ready. . . . Describes in confident, loving, sometimes humorous
terms what that day will be like. . . . Buoyant prose. . . . A
beamingly positive intro to a new experience that gives youngsters
a great framing for their best behavior; the winking touch to the
grandiloquence keeps it from being sentimental and instead makes it
jubilant, affectionately jokey cheerleading. Line and digital
artwork provides lively, playful background textures and details. .
. . There are plenty of reassuring books about starting
kindergarten, but this delightfully moves beyond 'It will be okay
and you might even like it' to a straight out 'You will crush
this!'”—The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, starred
review
* “When a mother gives her son the titular nickname, it
inspires him throughout his first day of school. . . . Affirming
text and energizing drawings . . . which skillfully balance bright
colors, patterns, and textures, should put a spring in the step of
any reluctant kindergartner: who wouldn’t want to be thought of as
‘the charming, the wonderful and the kind’ class
sovereign?”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
* “The playful illustrations use texture and shadow to great
effect, with vibrant colors and dynamic shapes and lines sustaining
readers' interest on every page. Text and visuals work together
beautifully to generate excitement and confidence in children
getting ready to enter kindergarten. The little king's smiling
brown face is refreshing and heartwarming. . . . Necessary
nourishment, infectiously joyous.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred
review
* “Joyful and empowering. . . . With the introduction of each part
of this brand new day comes the assurance that nothing is too
difficult for the King of Kindergarten. The vibrant and cheerful
hand-drawn and digital illustrations feature a diverse classroom of
children all helping one another. . . . Lots of emphasis on being a
kind and brave classmate and ruler. . . . This marvelous story will
give each reader an opportunity to see themselves as ‘the charming,
the wonderful, and the kind King of Kindergarten.’ Perfect for
storytime or one-on-one readings, this book is an absolute first
purchase.”—School Library Journal, starred review
“Upbeat picture book. . . . Includes important milestones such as
making friends, sharing, playing together, and going through the
school day without any major issues, and Brantley-Newton adds
clever imaginative details to these familiar scenes. The
illustrations’ bright colors reflect the book’s positive tone as it
conveys the joys of growing up, starting school, and learning
school routines. This will make an excellent addition to early
childhood classrooms, or as a tool to help future kindergarteners
understand what a typical school day can look like. Best of all,
this story is free of disasters and jitters, making it an affirming
choice for children in need of a confidence boost.”—Booklist
“Barnes’s direct-address text is lighthearted and reassuring, with
its offstage narrator speaking directly to this
imaginary-crown-wearing child—and to all rising kindergartners,
first-day jitters or no. Brantley-Newton’s cartoony mixed-media
illustrations, hand-drawn and digitally colored, are bursting with
color, pattern, and texture, with the brown-skinned protagonist
surrounded by warmth (a smiley-faced sun that watches over him) and
comfort (a cozy-looking patchwork quilt, stuffies, and
finger-painted pictures in his bedroom; a school population of
cheerful, brighteyed children of various ethnicities—and even the
class fish is smiling!).”—The Horn Book
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