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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