May 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.
Starred review from June 1, 2014
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)
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July 1, 2014
PreS-K- A child bids farewell to his parents (who are sent back to their own planets) and begins his first mission on Planet Kindergarten. He is joined by intergalactic aliens, all reporting to a commander whose desk is littered with apples. The gravitational field is different: "We have to try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot." Projects include exploration outside the capsule, keeping logs, and, most challenging of all, extended rest time. "Abort mission," the homesick space traveler thinks. Then he remembers what's said at NASA: "Failure is not an option." Before he knows it, he's in splashdown-back home- and training for his next mission. Ganz-Schmitt exhibits a fine mix of sensitivity and pizzazz in approaching the challenges that children face. With the help of Prigmore's superpowered animation-style illustrations, she offers a story that will help readers understand that kindergarten really is out of this world.-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2015
Whether starting at the kindergarten around the corner or on another planet, the mission is always a daring one. When this book's protagonist arrives at Planet Kindergarten, he discovers that his classmates from around the galaxy are just as nervous as he is. Light, tongue-in-cheek text and digital illustrations with a 1950s-throwback vibe make for a humorous space-age take on the first-day-of-school story.
(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
November 1, 2014
Whether starting at the kindergarten around the corner or on another planet, the mission is always a daring one for new students to accomplish. This book's square-headed, freckle-faced protagonist is ready for takeoff, counting down the days, preparing the supplies, passing the physical, and belting himself in for the ride -- and that all happens before the title page. When he arrives at Planet Kindergarten, he discovers that his young classmates from around the galaxy are just as nervous as he is. All the details of starting school -- the strange rules of hand-raising and staying seated; playground scuffles; cafeteria procedures; making friends with someone completely new and different -- are described in a light, tongue-in-cheek style aimed at providing reassurance for children (and their nervous parents). Saturated digital illustrations with a 1950s-throwback vibe accompany this humorous space-age take on the traditional first-day-of-school story. There is so much to laugh at here that even the most terrified child will stand tall and join in with the NASA refrain "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION." Sure to comfort and amuse many a new space traveler and the grateful teachers who will read this aloud over and over during the first few weeks of school. robin l. smith
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)