The Night Before Preschool

by Natasha Wing, Amy Wummer (Illustrator)

Overview

It's the night before preschool, and a little boy named Billy is so nervous he can't fall asleep. The friends he makes the next day at school give him a reason not to sleep the next night, either: he's too excited about going back! The book's simple rhyming text and sweet illustrations will soothe any child's fears about the first day of school.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780448454511
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	05/12/2011
Series:	Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Culture
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	611
Product dimensions:	7.42(w) x 7.84(h) x 0.10(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Natasha Wing (www.natashawing.wordpress.com) was born in Milford, Connecticut. She moved to Arizona in 1980, finishing college at Arizona State University before moving to California a few years later to work in advertising.

It wasn’t until 1991 that Natasha decided to write children’s books. She sold her first book, Hippity Hop, Frog on Top, within 6 months, and has been writing children’s books and articles ever since. She has been published in Humpty Dumpty’s Magazine, Girls’ Life, and Hopscotch for Girls, and has two recipes in Writers in the Kitchen. She now lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Editorial Reviews

Yes, this is a riff on The Night Before Christmas. It focuses on preschool jitters by a young boy named Billy. He can't sleep, he worries about making friends, his tummy hurts—it is all nerves and stress. The good news is that when he finally is engaged in activities such as drawing and listening to stories as well as playing outside, he has a great time. The refrain is familiar: "The kids lay on their mats; soon there wasn't a peep—all were quiet except Billy who could not fall asleep." What is going to happen? Billy has forgotten his stuffed bear Jerome. A young girl offers another stuffed animal for quiet-time and soon Billy was asleep. Then before you know it, preschool is over and the parents have arrived and Billy has a reunion with his favorite toy. The pictures are amusing, the text presents a real situation and kids concerned about heading off to preschool may certainly benefit from sharing this story. This title is one of many in the author's series that address special days in a child's life. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot