Early Literacy

A reassuring and empowering book for all incoming kindergarteners, especially those who wonder: Am I ready You are!

The unknown can be scary and the first day of school intimidating, for kids and the grownups who love them. Perfect for easing nerves and increasing excitement, Ready for Kindergarten is about all the things kids love to do that show they are ready to start school. Created in consultation with education experts, the book highlights skills that teachers will build upon in the classroom--like imaginative play, recognizing colors and shapes, and cooperating with friends--and encourages kids to enjoy and practice them. Look who is ready for kindergarten!

Ready for Kindergarten makes a perfect preschool graduation or back-to-school gift, and is an ideal summer read leading up to the big first day. With both cheerful reassurance and expert guidance, this book helps kids and their caregivers feel ready for anything! Backmatter includes tips from early childhood educators about kindergarten preparedness.

Find out how butterflies in your tummy are a good thing in this fresh take on being nervous for the first day of school.

When a little girl wakes up on the first day of school, the butterflies in her stomach feel positively giant-sized! She really wants her mom to stay with her, on this first day.
As she and her mom make their way to school, Mom explains how the butterflies are a good thing. Everyone gets them (including parents) and they are a sign of something exciting happening—that we're about to learn and grow from a new experience and they can help us through it.
So with the butterflies as her guide, the girl soars into her first day.
Beloved children's songwriter Justin Roberts brings one of his most popular songs to the page, alongside beautifully tender illustrations by Paola Escobar, in a story guaranteed to help readers of all ages reframe their first-day nerves as first-day excitement.

This fourth book in the Tinysaurs series features Clawdie, Spike, and Roary as they navigate the first day of a new school year—with a little bit of grace and a lot of humor!

The Tinysaurs return with a fun back-to-school adventure! Clawdie, Spike, and Roary are eager to return to school, and they start the day with a school-wide assembly. Whie Roary experiences his first lessons in learning letters and counting, Clawdie sings—quite loudly!—with her class, and Spike accidentally pops the ball that the children were using at recess on his spikes. And despite the cafeteria not having Roary’s favorite lunch—lizard sandwiches—the day turns out to be a success.

Meet the Tinysaurs! Clawdie, Spike, and young Roary are tiny dinosaurs who are ready and willing to lend a hand in any situation. These adorable friends always work together to bring smiles and happiness wherever they go!

My Name is an inspiring picture book that encourages kids to celebrate themselves and all the things that make them unique, especially their name.

Your name means you’re different
Your name means you’re you

When an Indian American boy starts school in a new classroom, one child can't pronounce his name properly, which leads to giggles amongst his classmates. Later at home, his parents remind him of how special he is — and how his unique name reflects that.

With lush illustrations by Sandhya Prabhat, award-winning author Supriya Kelkar writes a stunning tribute to the word that identifies each of us the very most — our name, reminding readers of the beauty in celebrating difference, taking pride in uniqueness, and helping others to do the same.

A back-to-school picture book about the importance of acknowledging your feelings and using them as tools for navigating new experiences. Inspired by the way teachers talk about emotional literacy with young children, this is the ideal book for any kid facing a big milestone, from the author of the bestselling The Goodnight Train.

There's a lot to check off on the back-to-school list. Lunchbox Check. Notebook Paper Glue stick Check. Check. Check. But school supplies aren't the only thing we bring with us. We also bring along our FEELINGS!!

Follow along as a class of young children learns to identify and process the wide array of feelings they meet on the first day of school. Say "hello" to HAPPY, soothe ANGER, jump with EXCITED, and shout HOORAY when a fun day comes to an end.

Inspired by the way educators talk about emotions and build emotional literacy with young children, this rhyming picture book encourages readers to observe and name their feelings and use them to their advantage. First Day, Hooray! provides the tools needed for social emotional learning in and outside the classroom and is an ideal read for rising kindergarteners, to share leading up to and during the first days of school and anytime a child is facing a big change. Includes a back matter note from an educator to guide teachers and caregivers in encouraging emotional literacy with children.

Get ready for a heartwarming and enlightening journey through the world of sensory differences with the highly anticipated second installment of the award-winning picture book series, Wiggles, Stomps, and Squeezes: Calming My Jitters at School. Written by Lindsey Rowe Parker, a neurodivergent mom, and beautifully illustrated by Rebecca Burgess, an autistic illustrator and advocate, this book offers a unique and profound understanding of sensory experiences that will resonate with parents, educators, and children alike.



Join the young protagonist with sensory differences as they embark on a day at school, navigating through new environments with the help of various activities that allow them to regulate their sensory needs. As you turn the pages, you'll gain invaluable insight into how sensory-sensitive children can find solace in wiggles, stomps, and squeezes, and how supportive adults can play an active role in fostering their emotional well-being.

Traffic safety matters.

One of the first chances we get to teach this subject is as young ones start riding the bus. In School Bus Safety, Deputy Becky Coyle uses adorable rhymes and illustrations to teach young students, in a fun and engaging way, the importance of knowing and following the rules. This addition to the series includes the important steps to approaching, riding, and exiting the bus in a safe and friendly manner.

The School Safety series' goal is to explain school safety to young children in a fun and engaging way. Created by a deputy sheriff and school resource officer, these books are informative and engaging with the goal to help children understand the importance of safety in their schools.

You think your school is weird? What if your teacher was a Tyrannosaurus rex?! 

Fans of the unusual creatures in the "How to Catch a" series will love this new super-silly picture book, a perfect back-to-school giggle. Includes two pages of stickers!

It's the wildest classroom ever with a T. rex teacher who decorates with dino-motivation, loves to roar, and sometimes gets a bit stompy!

From crushing desks to very loud math lessons, this prehistoric teacher turns every school day into an adventure, including the most epic field trips to Dinosaur Land!

Discover the hilarious chaos when a T. rex runs the show, making every other classroom look tame by comparison. Will you survive a day in this Jurassic class?

With page after page of jokes, puns, and visual gags, it's a book kids will want to read over and over. And it makes a perfect back-to-school gift!

Why does Mr. Gill keep an empty chair in the front of his classroom? Find out in this poignant picture book based on a true story that celebrates a beloved teacher and his commitment to making sure all kids feel welcome.

From art to science, history to math, there are so many things to learn at school! But Mr. Gill's students are most interested in learning about the empty chair that sits in the front of their classroom. He tells them a story from his childhood about his Black best friend, Archie, the racism they experienced at a classmate's birthday party, when Archie was told there wasn't a chair for him, and how it inspired Mr. Gill to prioritize inclusivity and love.

In this true story of bravery and belonging from longtime elementary school teacher Dan Gill and gorgeously illustrated by Susan Gal, readers will learn to always keep an extra chair in their home and in their hearts.

Poetic and heartwarming, Geisel Honor-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling creator Niña Mata's first authored picture book stars a young Filipina on her first day of school as she discovers the true and layered meaning of "new."

In the big city, everything feels new.

School is new. The people are new. And the glares and stares you get for being different are new.

But new can also mean new beginnings . . .

A child's-eye view of the common immigrant experience of adjusting to an unfamiliar place, Mata's picture book debut is a delightfully illustrated masterpiece that will resonate with any child who embarks on a new adventure.

Award-winning author Jessica Young and New York Times bestselling illustrator Renee Kurilla crafted a heartwarming story about the first day of school, told from the perspective of three timely characters: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.

Yesterday and Tomorrow do everything together. Now that the first day of school is here, Yesterday and Tomorrow are unsure about what the day will bring! Until sure enough they discover the power of living in the present with the help of their new friend, Today. From the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Just Because, here is a gentle and uplifting picture book for anyone facing a new experience.

A playful, baseball-themed first-day-of-school adventure!

Wake up, Sluggers. It’s time to . . .
Batter up for the first day of school!

It’s the first day of school at Grand Slam Elementary, and there is much to do before the Twins can step up to the plate! After putting on their uniforms, fueling up for the day, and doing an equipment check, the kids are ready to slide into first period. Opening day is full of curveballs, but the innings fly by until the kids return to home base, excited to do it all again tomorrow!

With plenty of punny prose and playful baseball terms, this humorous read-aloud is the perfect way to get little sluggers ready for the first day of school.

A powerful modern-day story about sharing what you have, based on the biblical Feeding of the Five Thousand, by Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock.

It’s lunchtime at school, and Leo knows exactly what he’s going to have: a baloney sandwich. His mom does the best she can, but sometimes Leo wishes they could afford more than baloney sandwiches. Then one day, the unexpected happens: His mom gets a new job and buys him a lunch box at a yard sale. Suddenly, he’s got something other than a baloney sandwich! Even more amazing, Leo’s delicious lunch begins to multiply, and the more he shares, the more he receives.

A powerful modern-day story about sharing what you have, based on the biblical story of the Feeding of the Five Thousand, Reverend Senator Raphael Warnock’s tale of empathy, community, and caring for others comes to life with TeMika Grooms’s warm illustrations in the first book in his We’re in This Together series.

Learn about all the things that make teachers awesome with Llama Llama Loves His Teacher! The perfect thank-you gift for teachers everywhere!

Go through the school day with Llama Llama as he recalls all the things he learns, but more importantly, all the things he loves about his teacher! 

With lush art and heartfelt words, Llama Llama Loves His Teacher is a valuable addition to any elementary school teacher’s classroom library. Perfect for National Teacher Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, Back to School, or any time of year!

A funny, philosophical take on the pursuit of friendship that's perfect for back-to-school and going to a new school experiences.

Moving to a new neighborhood comes with many challenges, especially when it comes to making new friends. Will they play how I want to play? the young narrator wonders. Will they hug me when I’m sad, or give me space? So many questions! But in the end, the only plausible thing to do is to dive in and give it a try. An ideal choice for back-to-school or going to a new school reading.