School picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. These titles may be found on my Amazon Storefront under School Picture Books– https://www.amazon.com/shop/mrs.ferraris/list/1U3H75RM6KG77?ref_=aipsflist.)
❗This cumulative list grows over time, with the newest books always appearing at the top.❗
Will the Pigeon Graduate?
by Mo Willems (Author)
Brief summary: Pigeon stands in line with other students, ready to go on stage to receive a diploma. He wonders if it has overcome all the challenges and if its efforts were sufficient. Will the pigeon graduate? What will he do next?
Comments: This is a wonderful book to gift any graduate! It could serve as a thoughtful keepsake for teaching staff, relatives, or friends to pass around, writing inside with best wishes, reflection moments, or future advice for the graduate.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Big Kids
by K. L. Going (Author), Reggie Brown (Illustrator)
Summary: A young boy describes his first day of school, highlighting all the activities the older kids participate in. It’s Buddy Day, when he gets paired with an older student. His new friend takes him on a tour of the school, helping to ease his fears of the older students.
Comments: I love how the perspective of the big kids and little kids is complemented by the illustrations, which show the physical contrasts.
This would be the perfect read-aloud for the start of the school year, just before introducing the buddy system. We paired kindergartners with fifth graders.
Rating: 4.5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Fish Don’t Go to School
by Deb Pilutti (Author)
Summary: Henry wears his fish costume to school because it makes him feel safe and less anxious. Although everyone stared at him, as the day went on, Henry slowly felt more comfortable. Will he continue to wear his costume every day?
Comments: I think this would be a good book to read aloud to help those students who feel insecure at the beginning of the school year.
I remember several students dressing in Halloween costumes or like ballerinas at the beginning of the school year, and gradually shedding their fears as they got to know everyone in the classroom and the daily routine.
The illustrations were created with gouache and wax pastels on watercolor paper with a little digital painting.
Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Maybe Just Ask Me!
by Katie Mazeika (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: Mazie goes to school wearing her favorite head scarf and a pretty eye patch. Throughout the day, she hears her classmates speculating about the reasons behind her accessories. After listening to their whispers all day, she decides to confront them and share her story.
Comments: This text is based on the author’s personal story. She includes it at the back of the book, along with a list of ways to support individuals with disabilities.
The illustrations were created digitally.
Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Recess
by Lane Smith (Author)
Summary: Everyone needs a break from learning, and that is when RECESS comes in. What happens when recess is already over but we still need a break?
Comments: This is a fun interactive book featuring a call-and-response format that will have students giggling and full of energy. It makes an excellent read-aloud option for a “recess” moment when the day feels dull and a mental break is needed.
I loved how the book alternates between boring gray and then a bright color for the recess activity.
The illustrations were created with oil paints, colored pencils, cold wax, gesso, sandpaper, and digital scribbling on 24″ x24″ wood panels.
Lane Smith never disappoints me with his books. Another masterpiece!
Rating: 5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Sammy and Sunny’s First Day of School
by Nina LaCour (Author), Elizabeth Lilly (Illustrator)
Summary: Sammy and her dog, Sunny, both attend their first day of school. Sammy is dropped off at her kindergarten classroom, while Sunny goes to puppy school.
Readers see how their days parallel each other. They were both a bit nervous, but then learned the routine and made friends.
Comments: The illustrations were created with pen and ink and painted with watercolor.
Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Sunnyside School: A Community Helpers Book
by Lindsay Ward
Summary: Ali, Matty, and Mila are new to Sunnyside School. Readers walk along with the students and learn about their classrooms, the school building, and all about the volunteers and staff members.
Comments: This book provides excellent details in both the text and the illustrations. It features traditional narrative, speech bubbles, and informative text boxes. As the day progresses, the book poses questions and includes a search-and-find activity at the end. This is a fantastic community helper book and would be a valuable addition to any library or classroom.
Rating: 4.5/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Trusty Bus
by Elizabeth Weiss Verdick (Author), Jeff Harter (Illustrator)
Summary: Driver Dee and Trusty, a school bus, get ready to go on their route to pick up the students for the first day of school, being mindful of safety as they go around town.
Comments: This is a darling little book for toddlers and preschoolers. The rhyming text and onomatopoeias make the book interesting and fun.
The illustrations were created digitally.
Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
You Can Sit With Me
by Rachel Tawil Kenyon (Author), Tatiana Kamshilina (Illustrator)
Summary: A young child is new to the school and unsure of the routine. A girl kindly invites the newbie to sit with her throughout the story.
Comments: This would be a superb story to read aloud to promote kindness and inclusion. I think there could be some meaningful class discussions afterwards about ways everyone can be kind to one another.
Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Goodnight School
by Catherine Bailey (Author), Cori Doerrfeld (Illustrator)
Brief summary: As School prepares to close for the night, the night guard goes through the building to ensure that all the lights are off and each room is in order. However, she discovers evidence that someone else is in the school with her. Will she be able to identify the intruder before the students arrive the next day?
Comments: This humorous mystery picture book has detailed illustrations that had me stop and look.
I love it when the pasted-down end pages are part of the story.
This would be a nice story to share at bedtime.
Rating: 4/5 📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
On the Last Day of School
by Maggie C. Rudd (Author), Taia Morley (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Students reflect on their progress from the beginning to the end of the school year before heading home for the summer.
Comments: This could be shared as a read-aloud towards the end of the school year. It can prompt a discussion where students compare what they could do at the beginning of the school year with all the things they have learned or can now do by the end of the year.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Sammy and Sunny’s First Day of School
by Nina LaCour (Author), Elizabeth Lilly (Illustrator)
Summary: Sammy and her dog, Sunny, both attend their first day of school. Sammy is dropped off at her kindergarten classroom, while Sunny goes to puppy school.
Readers see how their days parallel each other. They were both a bit nervous, but then learned the routine and made friends.
Comments: The illustrations were created with pen and ink and painted with watercolor.
Rating: 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Mr. S: A First Day of School Book
by Monica Arnaldo (Author, Illustrator).
Brief summary: The kindergartners of 2B arrive on the first day of school to find a missing teacher. Their first clue is the desk has a ruler, a steaming cup of coffee, and a giant sandwich. They notice “Mr. S” has been written on the chalkboard. They wonder if their teacher could be Mr. Sandwich. They immediately create an alphabet of different sandwiches. They continue their day doing school-related activities without the supervision of an adult. Suddenly, the door opens, and a man hurries inside the classroom. Is this their teacher?
Comments: This was one of my favorite back-to-school books. Great mystery. A subplot is also going on in the window frame throughout the story. Clever. Well done. I can’t wait to read more imaginative stories like this from Monica Arnaldo.
Rating: 5/5 📗📗📗📗📗
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
9 Kilometers (Stories from Latin America)
by Claudio Aguilera (Author), Gariela Lyon (Illustrator), Lawrence Schimel (Translator)
Brief summary: A young Chilean student begins his nine-kilometer walk to school in the darkness of dawn while counting his steps and animals he sees along the way.
Young readers will follow his journey as he goes under a barbed-wired fence, through a forest, across a river, etc., until he is FINALLY to school.
Comments: This book could spark some interesting classroom conversations. What was the longest you’ve ever walked? How much is a kilometer? Why did the boy walk so far? Why didn’t a yellow school bus take him? Was it essential for him to go to school? Dangerous?
The back of the book has brief stories of other children worldwide and how they walk to their schools. There is also a section on the birds seen during the boy’s walk.
The front pasted-down end pages have a map of the beginning of the walk, with it continuing onto the back end pages.
Rating: 4.5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Translated and printed to English in 2023.
Marker
by Anna Kang (Author), Christopher Weyant (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Red Pen welcomes the teacher supplies to getting ready for the first day of school. Pinking Shears is accepted as a new member and is placed in the superpower mug on the desk, displacing Permanent Marker to a canister. The supplies are creating back-to-school posters and lists when Marker, which is always used for the class rules poster, makes a mistake but cannot fix it, causing her anxiety as everyone will see it day after day. Will Red Pen come up with an idea to help everyone realize it’s okay to fail?
Comments: What a fun read for the beginning of the school year. Cute illustrations and a humorous storyline will help students with any first-day jitters. I’ll not be looking at the supplies on my desk ever the same.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗 1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
And Then Comes School
by Tom Brenner (Author), Jen Hill (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Two young girls enjoy the last summer days with their friends. A list of school supplies is received. They sort through clothes that are too small, pick up back-to-school supplies, and play on the last day of summer vacation. They prepare for the first day of school by picking out an outfit, filling a backpack, and going to bed, imagining what the first day will bring.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
This is one of the series of And Then Comes by Tom Brenner. I like this series as they share little rituals before a holiday or event that young readers can understand. Nice, lyrical text.
Shy Robin and the First Day of School
by Jaime Kim (Author, Illustrator)
Brief summary: Robin is usually brave and energetic at home but not in public. Her mother gives her a purple headband on the first day of school to help her feel confident.
While at school, Robin notices a classmate, Marco, who is also shy and withdrawn and wears purple bracelets. When Robin temporarily loses her headband, Marco offers her one of his bracelets while they look for the hair accessory.
Comments: This would be a reassuring back-to-school story to share with preschoolers and kindergartners to help normalize feeling shy and show how small acts of kindness can build new friendships.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).ge.
We’re Going to School
by Tammi Salzano (Author), Morena Forza (Illustrator)
Summary: Young readers will follow various children as they wake up early and prepare to return to school. Once inside the school, the day begins with introductions, new routines, and friend-making.
Comments: This book would be a great pick for preschoolers or kindergartners who have never been to school to get a general idea of what happens on the first day.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Giant-Sized Butterflies On My First Day of School
by Justin Roberts (Author), Paola Escobar (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A young girl has a nervous stomach about going back to school and is reassured by her mother that everything will be okay. The mother shares a time when she had butterflies in her stomach and how she let them go.
Comments: Teachers and parents can share this book with students on the first day of school to reassure them that it is normal to feel nervous when starting something new.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
Mina Belongs Here
by Sandra Niebuhr-Siebert (Author), Lars Baus (Illustrator)
Summary: Mina attends kindergarten and struggles to understand what anyone is saying or asking. Mina hugs a teddy bear and is quiet all day until she returns to her home and tells her mother about her day.
The next day of school, Mina befriends a girl named Ava even though they do not speak. She returns home to tell her mother all about her day at school.
Each day, Mina learns new words and becomes more relaxed. Her dreams parallel her feelings and become more vivid and bright.
Comments: This thoughtful picture book is a teaching tool for building empathy toward English language learners and showing how kindness and friendship overcome language barriers.
This German translation from 2020 was published in the USA in 2023.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link)..
Back to School, Backpack!
by Simon Rich (Author), Tom Toro (Illustrator)
Brief summary: A backpack heading to school has the first day jitters, but it soon fits in to the new environment.
Comments: This is a cute and humorous read-aloud for the first day or week of school to help ease students’ nervousness.
Rating: 3.5/5 📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
A Smart, Smart School
by Sharon Creech (Author), Anait Semirdzhyan (Illustrator)
Brief summary: Mr. Keene, the principal of Fine Elementary School, loves his school as he strolls through the hallways watching the students drawing, painting, reading, and singing. He immediately has to leave for the hospital. Tillie, one of the students, worries about his recovery.
Mr. Tatters takes over as the principal and notices all of the get-well banners, cards, and artwork the students do for their beloved sick principal and does not like it. He insists that to be a smart, smart school, they must have tests every day that week, causing everyone to have stress and boredom. The students visit their principal at the hospital on Saturday, bringing all their get-well gifts.
Tillie talks to Mr. Keene upon his return on Monday about all the tests. He gathers everyone into an assembly and announces how they will be a smart, smart school again.
Comments: What a great book to anonymously leave on each principal’s, board member’s, and central office administrator’s desk. *wink*
Rating: 4.5/5 📗📗📗📗1/2
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page (paid link).
The selected children’s books are chosen by a highly qualified retired elementary school librarian, who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.
