Hello School!

by Priscilla Burris

Cozy illustrations make this the perfect introduction to the joy of school.

A diverse class of excited youngsters are about to start school and experience all its wonders! Small moments like discovering one's own cubby space and big moments like a first nature walk are all brought to life with inviting artwork. This is a great book to help familiarize children with all the activities they can expect at school, from circle time to snack time to goodbye time, all the while sharing the experiences with lots of great new friends.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Back To School, Childrens, Friendship, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

Published July 3, 2018

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet is the best word I can use to describe this, but not sweet in a treacly sort of way. I loved the illustrations; they were funny, and real, and go along with the text beautifully.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As little ones start school for the first time, they might be a bit nervous and not sure what to expect. This sweet picture book takes young readers through a day and through the seasons of preschool and/or kindergarten. This might be an excellent book to share with kids getting ready to start school or for primary teachers to share with young children on the first day. It might also be a comforting book to share with young kids who might already be familiar with school, but still nervous before the first day.

[Mary Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet. Especially appreciate the diversity in the classroom. Best for our youngest students.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for a little one going to Pre-K. Simple, straightforward and friendly.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the first day of school and young readers can follow a class of new students through a typical day, from meeting their new teacher and making new friends, to finding their cubbies and seats. Included are general activities such as circle time with singing, listening time, snack time, recess, exploring nature, learning numbers and letters, and of course, coloring. This particular class is friendly, diverse, and excited to be in school. The teacher's name is Mrs. Friend, giving her a nice positive image for young readers to take away as they begin their own school journey. The book follows a typical day, but the different activities unfold over the course of the first few months, by which time kids would know what the daily routine is. This is a wonderful book for talking about what happens when kids begin school and ideal for reading long before they start kindergarten, and even after. The mixed media illustrations are simple and uncluttered, with lots of white space, so kids can focus on what the class is doing. Each topic is introduced, highlighted in yellow, and give a short description. The kids all have speech bubbles, and Burris really has captured how kids think in them. This is a book every parent/caregiver/teacher will want to read to their beginning kindergarteners, and every young reader will benefit from knowing what to expect as they begin school. I say kindergarteners, but it works equally as well for pre-K and even first graders.

[Ben Truong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello School! is a children's picture book written and illustrated by Priscilla Burris and depicts a diverse class of excited children that are about to start school.

The text is rather simple, straightforward, and rather minimal. It depicts what one might expect from going to school for the first time from the minutiae to the grand in a gentle and quaint manner with a few words as possible. The illustrations are extremely beautiful and rather subdued, but colorful, which exemplifies the text extremely well and is the star of the book. It also shows the wonderment of the children rather well.

The premise of the book is rather straightforward. It shows what children could expect for going to school for the first time. Each discovery is wonderful from discovering their cubbyhole, making friends, playing on the playground, and going on their first trip, and the like. Each page is filled with amazing illustrations that shows the story rather well.

All in all, Hello School! is a wonderful quaint children's book on what to expect when going to school. It is a good book to help those going to school for the first time to familiarize themselves of what they may expect.

[Shantala · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for kindergartners who are anxious about attending school for the first time. Because it quite literally walks them through a typical school day, showing them what to expect from their first day of school.

From getting to know their teacher to meeting / making new friends to walking through the activities at school (from circle time to goodbye time), to even introducing them to their classroom cubbies- this one covers it all. Which might help to soothe the anxiety and the fear of the unknown that some kids might struggle with, before heading to their first day of school.

Oh and this book has the cutest, most adorable dialogues & illustrations! Which are probably especially cute because they are so true to how kids actually talk in real life.

Overall - this book is just adorable perfection. Highly recommend!

*5 shining stars*

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age: Preschool-Kindergarten

A book sure to ease the anxiety of starting school--especially for the first time. Burris focuses on one classroom's schedule for the day. The activities are generic enough that most all Pre-K and Kindergarten classes should incorporate them: putting your stuff away in cubbies, art, recess, quiet time (some kids are napping), counting, and literacy. The mood of the book is completely positive with a brief nod to shy kids but all the kids are model students and everyone gets along.

Overall, this is great for painting a bright picture of school and for giving children an expectation for the activity-focused schedule of the day. Look elsewhere for books that acknowledge and address more complex issues like nervousness and being unable to make friends.

[Jj · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a gentle, sweet book introducing kids to the excitement of starting school for the first time. It might be just perfect for some kids, but I found it ultimately kind of dull. For me, it did not convey the excitement--and yes, anxiety--involved with the whole "going to school" milestone. Also, the volleying between kids' dialogue and the narrative text was a bit much. But there were some fun elements, like the gigantic ear on the page about listening.

Thanks to Penguin Young Readers for the review copy.

[Ashtyn Butler · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not my favorite book ever. To be honest, I found it a little bit boring. I think that the goal of the book is to let kids know what a day at school might look like, but it just did not hold my attention very well. I thought that the art in this book was definitely the books greatest strength. It gives the reader an picture of what a normal school day looks like. It shows scenes of the classroom, a teacher, and a playground. The pictures show the students participating in the school activities and engaging with their teacher and their peers.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute first time at school story that really does a good job of covering a lot of what kids will experience. A few grammar issues that knocked it from a 4 to a 3 like capitalizing My Mom, "we look, we listen, we explore" shouldn't have those commas (periods were use in other instances like this on other pages) or needs an extra word, and something else near the end. Especially with it being a book about school, I need better editing to catch stuff like that.

[Triston Dutschke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hello School! is a great book to introduce students to very early in the school year. It talks about the first couple of days at school. As some students could be new or just nervous, this can break the ice in the classroom. It teaches them to enjoy the first couple of days and to make as many friends as possible. As a military brat who moved around during my early school years, this book could've been beneficial to me. Due to this I would love to read this book when school starts each year.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

What would be the scary part of this picture book?

When the first little girl we meet, on the very first page, says, "Hello School!"
What if the schoolhouse steps, where she's standing, move beneath her feet -- as if speaking, and answer her back? "Hello, Little Girl."

FORTUNATELY "HELLO SCHOOL" CONTAINS NO SCARY SURPRISES

Children learns what happens at school. Plus some useful tips are offered:

At snack time...
We say thank you!
We are good helpers.

FIVE STARS

[jennyreadit · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simplistic book with diverse characters great for teachers and parents of 4K and 5k to read aloud to help explain what to expect at school. Discovering one's own cubby, circle time, a first nature walk, snack time, good-bye time and meeting new friends are illustrated with bright inviting artwork.

[skcocnaH · Rating 4 out of 5]

The reason I didn’t give this five stars is that the text could’ve been leveled up a bit. However, I loved the illustrative style. I loved that the book was inclusive—the children had different skin colors and there’s one kid that’s a little husky, which I can appreciate. The typography is fun and I like how Burris uses different colors for the speech bubbles. All around, a nice peaceful read.

[Lupe · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a former Kindergarten teacher, I want to like this book but it doesn't seem relevant or timely anymore. I previewed this book before purchasing for my public school collection. I'm glad I did because my students would be hard pressed to find much similar to their own school experiences. I wish school was still like this. (insert wistful face)

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very nice book. The illustrations are gentle and fit this age. I love how we learn something new about what you do at school on each spread. It's a great introduction for kids about what goes on at school - circle time, counting, recess, snack, reading, letters, art, etc.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick look at the first day of school. Simple sentences with students sharing statements and questions throughout. I read the sentences and skipped the conversation during storytime.

Reviewed from a library copy.

2018 storytime theme: Back to School

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book to share with children attending school, especially preschoolers and kindergartners

I like the endpapers have the old timey school lined paper. The illustrations have a soft water colorish look.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book about all the interesting stuff a kid might encounter on their first day of school - from making nametags to hibernating to dealing with interruptions from classmates. Great illustrations!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little ones start school and learn different rules and activities. Very, very fun book for little ones.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 4 out of 5]

An adorable first day of school book for little kids. This would be a good one to compare with School's first day of School.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay.
Beginning Kindergarten

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

August 2018 - more about the first few months of school than just the first day, this is a sweet introduction.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

A series of school events are commented on by kids in a class as they begin the school year. preschool and up for speech bubble concept

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. Simple, very positive and cheery. Almost alarming in how sweet it is. Pretty sure most kids will know that no first day could possibly go so well

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great warm-fuzzy start of school title

[Gretchen Oates · Rating 3 out of 5]

A day in the life of a kindergartener.

[Mary Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

One school day lasts from the first day of school until Thanksgiving? A little heavy-handed with the "this is the way we do school" for my tastes.

[Stefanie Foard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the diversity of the characters in this, but the story is pretty dull. Not much of a plot, but it's good to share with kids who are starting school and want to know what it will be like.