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Parents' Guide to

The King of Kindergarten

By Regan McMahon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Fun tale pictures a kid's royally good first day of school.

Book Derrick Barnes Picture Book 2019
The King of Kindergarten Poster Image

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What's the Story?

A boy wakes up and sits on his bed and his mommy tells him today he's "going to be THE KING OF KINDERGARTEN!" He goes into the bathroom and brushes "Ye Royal Chiclets" and, says the narrator, "You'll dress yourself neatly in handpicked garments from the far-off villages of Osh and Kosh. B'gosh! You're ready to reign!" The narrator's royal spin on the experience continues throughout the day as the boy takes "a big yellow carriage" (the schoolbus) to school and grabs a "royal seat at your round table," learns the classroom rules, plays a game of fighting a fire-breathing dragon at recess, has "a royal rest," and gets a send-off from his teacher, who will "wish you all a magnificent evening and bid you farewell until dawn."

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This enthusiastic, uplifitng story of a boy's first day of kindergarten layers on the kingly language to make it fresh and boost confidence. Addressing the boy as The King of Kindergarten gives him the you-got-this assurance he needs to enter a new situation with new rules to learn, a new teacher to face, and new classmates to meet. It's fun and infectious as the boy approaches this new world with bravery and kindness, as a benevolent king surely would. And Vanessa Brantley-Newton's perky illustrations keep the action bouncing along and capture the spirit of joy and accomplishment.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the first day of kindergarten looks in The King of Kindergarten. What makes it seem like it will be a day full of fun?

  • Why do you think the narrator talks to the boy as if he were king? How does that help him face a new situation that could feel a little scary?

  • The narrator tells the boy he'll be brave at recess to ask a classmate to play with him. Does it take courage to talk to someone you don't know? What's scary about it? Is it hard or easy for you to make friends on the playground?

Book Details

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