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Books by Theme » Back to School » The Best Books for Starting Kindergarten!

The Best Books for Starting Kindergarten!

By Lauren Bercuson ·  Published: Jul 9, 2021 ·  Modified: Aug 6, 2023 ·  This post may contain affiliate links

Books for starting kindergarten help get kids (and their parents!) ready for the big day. These are some of our very favorites, so check them out!

Table of Contents:
  1. Books for Starting Kindergarten Help Calm First-Day Jitters!
  2. Our Favorite Picture Books for Starting Kindergarten

Books for Starting Kindergarten Help Calm First-Day Jitters!

Pick out a new backpack, sharpen those pencils, and get ready friends, because a big day is here…

Your little one is starting kindergarten!

There’s no doubt about it. The first day of school can be incredibly daunting for a child, especially a child starting kindergarten. After all, their new school is BIG, the older kids are even BIGGER, and little ones will be away from their grownups for so many hours.

Your child will likely be nervous about starting kindergarten (and we’re sure you are as well!) But you know what will help calm their first-day jitters?

Reading, of course!

Get them ready with books for starting kindergarten

Books for starting kindergarten will help your kiddos get ready for the very big day. Reading about what they can expect – from big classrooms to new desks, to learning the alphabet, to counting and sharing and making new friends – will help calm nerves and make the first day of school feel more accessible.

Change, after all, is never easy, and this is a big one. But with books about starting kindergarten, you can tackle their jitters head-on. Discussing their fears before you drop them off that first day is vital.

RELATED: Did you know we have more than one hundred children’s book lists on Happily Ever Elephants? Check out this link!

These Books for Starting Kindergarten will help you discuss important topics

The stories on this list will help you talk to your children about their most pressing questions.

What will kindergarten be like?

What if I’m scared?

How will I make new friends?

What if I miss my grownups?

Will I be ok?

These are big emotions for children. But by using great stories, we can help our kids easily work through their complex feelings.

So what are you waiting for? Get them ready for their first day of school with these fantastic books!

RELATED: Are your kids in kindergarten getting ready to read? Check out our awesome list of kindergarten books and early reader books!

Happily Ever Elephants participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.

Our Favorite Picture Books for Starting Kindergarten

The cover of Mr. S, a hilarious book for starting kindergaten.
Mr. S
By Monica Arnaldo

There’s nothing I love more than a first-day-of-school book that will have kids laughing and guessing at the same time – one that also sparks conversation and builds camaraderie as classmates eagerly build off one another’s comments as they try to solve an outlandish mystery. And so it is with Mr. S, a new book about kids who enter their new kindergarten classroom to discover they have no teacher. Or do they? There is, after all, a suspect sandwich sitting on the teacher’s desk. And – um – is he actually trying to discipline the students? Your kids will crack up at this zany story, and this one will undoubtedly help quiet some first-day-of-kindergarten jitters. In love!

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-the-king-of-kindergarten
The King of Kindergarten
By Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Just when you think back to school books are all the same, a new one comes out and blows the others out of the water with its unique spin and beautiful voice. This story of a young boy ready to make his mark on kindergarten is fresh, unique, and oh-so-fun! But perhaps the most enjoyable parts of this story are the fabulous references to the boy being the “king” of kindergarten, a name his mom gives him upon waking up before that first day of school. The text is sprinkled with references to the boy’s kingdom, from the big yellow carriage that will deliver him to the grand fortress, to the royal seat where he meets his kingdom. The result? A lighthearted, humorous story that feels both reassuring and empowering, one that will stick with children as they get ready to begin their own first days of school. Check out our full review of The King of Kindergarten right here!

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books about starting kindergarten, the cover of The Queen of Kindergarten
The Queen of Kindergarten
By Derrick Barnes and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

We certainly can’t leave out The Queen of Kindergarten, the companion to the wildly popular The King of Kindergarten, above! In this adorable new story, MJ is ready for her first day of kindergarten, and she is thrilled to wear her mom’s special tiara on her head. After all, if she is going to kindergarten, she’s going to rock it. That special tiara reminds her of all the amazing attributes she brings to the classroom – traits like kindness, confidence, and friendliness. And when she becomes the queen of kindergarten, she will brighten any room with kindness, empathy, and a willingness to help others. Another gem by this dynamic duo, and a perfect story to ready kids for the first day of kindergarten!

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new books for starting kindergarten we love, including kindergarten,Iwhere kindness matters every day
Kindergarten: Where Kindness Matters Every Day
By Vera Ahiyya and illustrated by Joey Chou

What an absolutely darling story about a kindergarten class creating their Kindness Pledge on the first day of school! Leo isn’t quite ready for the first day of kindergarten, and he certainly doesn’t know how to express to his new teacher or classmates how to express kindness. He feels especially bad when he realizes the other students in his class have many ideas. Turns out, Leo may not have the right words to talk about kindness, but he certainly knows how to show it as evidenced by his genuine actions throughout the school day. This is a reassuring first day of school book and will work wonders to have children thinking about all the ways they kind be kind and helpful in the classroom.

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-the-kissing-hand
The Kissing Hand
By Audrey Penn

Going to school for the first time (and leaving a parent behind!) can be tough with a capital T, but this book helps alleviate worries! Here, one smart mama gives her little raccoon the perfect trick to combat the separation blues before he heads to his new classroom. After reading this story, my boys always remember that wherever they go, I’m always with them, even if not physically present. I can’t even recall how many times I have reminded them to make use of their kissing hands – it has become so ingrained in our routines. See our full review The Kissing Hand Book here!

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-wemberly-worried
Wemberly Worried
By Kevin Henkes

From spilling her juice to snakes in the radiator, poor Wemberly worries about everything. But there’s one thing Wemberly worries about most: the first day of school! When Wemberly begins her new year, she meets a fellow worrier in her class and realizes that maybe she has nothing to worry about after all. We just adore Kevin Henkes work and the way he writes so authentically from a child’s perspective!

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-lenas-shoes-are-nervous
Lena’s Shoes Are Nervous: A First-Day-of-School Dilemma
By Keith Calabrese and Juana Medina

The first day of kindergarten is a big day! And in this adorable book, one little girl approaches her first day of school in a novel manner. After all, it’s not Lena who is nervous about the big day, but her shoes! Will Lena be able to help her shoes overcome their jitters about starting school? Who knew shoes could be so shy? This book is just adorable!

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-all-are-welcome
All Are Welcome
By Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman

This is one of our favorite books about the first day of school because of the way it so beautifully celebrates students from all corners of the world as they enter a diverse and inclusive school. This lovely book conveys the vital message that all children are welcome within their classrooms and school communities. It offers the perfect message as we enter a new school year and shows all children beginning kindergarten that they have a safe place in their new space.

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-miss-bindergarten-gets-ready-for-kindergarten
Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten
By Joseph Slate and illustrated by Ashley Wolff

This is a darling book that shows how Miss Bindergarten is getting ready for her new class of kindergarteners — twenty-six students to be exact, one for each letter of the alphabet! This is such a fun book to help kids get ready for the first day of school while also working on their letter recognition as well.

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-the-night-before-kindergarten
The Night Before Kindergarten
By Natasha Wing and illustrated by Julie Durrell

This is a darling take on the classic poem “The Night Before Christmas,” with kids getting prepared, and feeling a bit scared, about starting kindergarten. As the characters pack their bags, pose for photos, and say goodbye to mom and dad, they definitely feel those first-day jitters. But when they get to their new classroom, they’ll discover that kindergarten is so much fun!

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-planet-kindergarten
Planet Kindergarten
By Sue Ganz-Schmitt and illustrated by Shane Prigmore

Prepare your young ones to get ready to explore a part of the galaxy they have never explored before. Planet Kindergarten, that is! This is a delightful way to ease kids into their new experience, allowing them to pretend they are explorers of a bold new frontier. It will help nervous little ones recognize that their kindergarten journey will surely be out of this world!

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-your-name-is-a-song
Your Name is a Song
By Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and illustrated by Luisa Uribe

This is such an important book about beginning school, especially for children who get nervous about their unique names and identities. We love this stunning story for the way it helps children see the inherent beauty in each and every name, no matter how difficult it may be for teachers or classmates to pronounce. Beautifully written and illustrated, this affirming book ensures no child feels shunned or mocked as a result of his or her name, and instead celebrates the brilliance and importance of names, no matter how common or unique they may be.

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-maes-first-day-of-school
Mae’s First Day of School
By Kate Berube

When Mae’s first day of school arrives, she is scared. The other kids may not like her. She may be the only one who can’t write. In fact, Mae becomes so scared that she decides she simply will not go, and when she gets to school she decides to hide — up in a tree! In hiding, she discovers she may not be the only one nervous about starting kindergarten – and kids will love the surprising twist this story offers to readers. We love the way this tender story respects the fears many children battle as they begin a new school year and gently reminds kids that they aren’t alone with their nerves. Other students, and even teachers, get anxious too. We just adore Kate Berube’s style, and her book, Hannah and Sugar, is a forever favorite!

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-danbi-leads-the-school-parade
Danbi Leads The School Parade
By Anna Kim

Though Danbi is excited to attend her new school in America, she’s also nervous and feels like she can’t do anything right in her new class. When she walks into her classroom for the very first time, everyone stares, and poor Danbi feels she does all the wrong things! But then Danbi musters up a whole lot of courage and some inventiveness, too. Before she knows it, Danbi leads her class in a parade, settles her nerves, and even has some fun. We love this story for the way it shows that using your imagination can open your world to new classmates.

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books-for-starting-kindergarten-kindergarten-here-I-come
Kindergarten Here I Come
By D.J. Steinberg and illustrated by Mark Chambers

This fun story celebrates all of the milestones that a child has throughout the year in kindergarten. From first-day jitters to 100th-day celebrations, this book contains short poems that highlight the best activities that will take place during kindergarten and will show nervous kids what they will do the first year in school.

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RELATED: We’ve got a fabulous list of kindergarten read-alouds for you on Happily Ever Elephants, so be sure to check them out!

books-for-starting-kindergarten

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