05/26/2014
For one brave boy, kindergarten isn’t just a grade—it’s a destination. He gets to school via rocket (one that looks suspiciously like his father’s hatchback), and considers his classmates to be aliens, including two that could be relatives of Cousin It. The boy adjusts to “zero gravity” (“We have to try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot”), discovers that he likes space food, and freaks out during naptime: “Is the room running out of oxygen?” Prigmore’s manic digital art gives a nod to Jetsons-era cartoons, while Ganz-Schmitt’s metaphor will ring true with intrepid readers. Ages 3–5. Author’s agent: Jennifer Unter, the Unter Agency. (May)
"Kindergarten isn't just a grade-it's a destination."—Publishers Weekly"
Demystifes the brave new world of kindergarten, making this mission a stellar success."—School Library Journal Curriculum Connections"
Both kids and parents will delight in the cheerful exuberance of Prigmore's style!" -Maureen Palacios, Once Upon a Time, Montrose, CA"
A genius way to ease kids into the new adventure that is kindergarten."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review"
Gives anxious children a creative way of looking at their new experiences, as explorers of a new frontier."—Jenny Brown, Twenty by Jenny"
Will help readers understand that kindergarten really is out of this world."—School Library Journal"
Visual excitement and madcap humor."-The New York Times"
This sequel is an (inter)stellar addition to the one-hundredth-day-of-school shelf."—The Horn Book Guide
"The inventive approach of both author and artist will give anxious children a creative way of looking at their new experiences, as explorers of a new frontier."—Shelf Awareness"
The first day of class takes on the dimensions of a cosmic mission in this imaginative tale."—BookPage"
Sure to comfort and amuse many a new space traveler and the grateful teachers who will read this aloud over and over."—The Horn Book"
Planet Kindergarten is the most imaginative book I have seen about starting school."—Kid Lit Reviews
★ 2014-05-14
A genius way to ease kids into the new adventure that is kindergarten.In an imaginative ruse that's maintained through the whole book, a young astronaut prepares for his mission to Planet Kindergarten. On liftoff day (a space shuttle-themed calendar counts down the days; a stopwatch, the minutes), the small family boards their rocket ship (depicted in the illustrations as the family car), and "the boosters fire." They orbit base camp while looking for a docking place. "I am assigned to my commander, capsule, and crewmates." Though he's afraid, he stands tall and is brave (not just once, either—the escape hatch beckons, but NASA's saying gets him through: "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION"). Parents will certainly chuckle along with this one, but kindergarten teachers' stomach muscles will ache: "[G]ravity works differently here. We have to try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot." Prigmore's digital illustrations are the perfect complement to the tongue-in-cheek text. Bold colors, sharp lines and a retro-space style play up the theme. The intrepid explorer's crewmates are a motley assortment of "aliens"—among them are a kid in a hoodie with the laces pulled so tight that only a nose and mouth are visible; a plump kid with a bluish cast to his skin; and a pinkish girl with a toothpick-thin neck and huge bug eyes.Sure to assuage the fears of all astronauts bound for similar missions. (Picture book. 3-7)
