The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

I had intended to review this much earlier, before school started in fact, but life goes on and the book pile grows ever higher.

Derrick Barnes, author of the award-winning Crown: Ode to the fresh cut teams up with Vanessa Brantley-Newton, known for her joyful and colorful illustrations featuring black children, to show an enthusiastic little boy on his first day at kindergarten. A smiling sun looks in the window and a sleepy-eyed little boy with brown skin and messy black curls sits up on his quilt, surrounded by trucks, a stuffed lion, and a robot. "Mommy says that today, you are going to be the King of Kindergarten!" He brushes his teeth, gets dressed in "handpicked garments from the far-off villages of Osh and Kosh." After breakfast with Mommy and Daddy, and a last check of how much he's grown, he boards the school bus and sets off to school.

The King of Kindergarten joins a flood of diverse children and parents arriving at school. His teacher is black and smiles warmly at the children as "you recite your name with pride." The children are shown surrounded by a sea of numbers, letters, and more as the teacher talks about what they'll be learning and reads aloud to them. On the playground he makes new friends and they fight an imaginary, fire-breathing dragon together. The rest of the day is just as wonderful, with sharing at lunch time, a "royal rest" and a ride home on the bus, eager to tell parents how wonderful the day was.

This isn't, of course, a realistic look at what to expect in kindergarten. For one thing, there are only four children shown in his class. The average class in my small town is 18 at a minimum, usually closer to 20-odd children. I don't know of any full-day kindergartens that still allow the kids to nap (although they really should!) and most schools have strict rules against swapping lunches due to allergy and diet concerns. But, the point isn't to depict a realistic day in kindergarten - it's to celebrate a milestone for a child who's kind, enthusiastic and deeply loved by his family and community.

Verdict: A joyful celebration of a sweet little black boy and his confident step into new experiences. This is a great book for first day of kindergarten or preschool reading, and to encourage nervous kids on their first day of school.

ISBN: 9781524740740; Published July 2019 by Nancy Paulsen Books; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library