Kindergarten Hat

by Janet Lawler, Geraldine Rodriguez (Illustrations)

Carlos Abredo is scared to start kindergarten, but a special teacher with an amazing hat helps give him the confidence to start the school year with a smile.

Carlos Abredo loves building forts, playing soccer, vrooming cars, and gardening. But after moving to a new town, he's nervous to start his first day of kindergarten. What if the bus gets lost? What if he can't make friends? What if he can't find his teacher?! Starting school can be intimidating for anyone, but when you're also the new kid, it can be downright scary.

When Carlos gets a letter from his new teacher, he starts to feel a little better. He picks out a gift for her, and after a much-needed hug from Mom, he sets off for his first day. But when his present is accidentally ruined, will Carlos be able to salvage his first day of school?

Genres: Picture Books, School, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published June 9, 2020

About the author

Janet Lawler is the author of many books for children and is particularly inspired by the natural world. Her inspiration for this book came after listening to a YouTube recording of ten hours’ worth of walrus sounds, after which she wanted to learn more about these interesting creatures and share that knowledge with young readers. She had great fun creating words that reflect the weird noises walruses make! Janet Lawler lives with her family in Connecticut.

Reviews

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terrific book for those who are nervous about beginning kindergarten. Carlos is one of those who is concerned about the unknown. His teacher writes to him and tells him to bring a flower for her hat. Unfortunately, his flower gets ruined on the bus but this teacher is amazing and adds a photo to her floral hat.
Detailed drawings bring out the emotions involved.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a kindergarten teacher, I quickly fell in love with Kindergarten Hat by Janet Lawler. I discovered this book on the blog “Colours of Us,” a blog about multicultural children’s books. This book has been reviewed by Kirkus Reviews. The book follows Carlos, a student who is about to start his first day of kindergarten. Like most incoming kindergarteners, he is anxious about the first day of school. This book would be a great story to read to incoming kindergarten students. The students will be able to connect to the character in the story as they talk about how they feel on their first day of school. I also liked that the illustrations showed a diverse class of students. I’m looking forward to adding this book to my collection and reading it to my kindergarten students next school year!

While I was able to find Kindergarten Hat at my local library, it was unfortunately checked out. Luckily Janet Lawler, like so many other authors during the pandemic, recorded a read aloud. During her read aloud, she shares a little bit about the process to becoming a published author. In addition to being a great read aloud for incoming kindergarteners, I would also recommend this read aloud to students in high school that are interested in becoming writers.

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a perfect book for kindergartners just getting ready to begin school! Carlos is nervous about going to school and keeps asking mom what if questions. Until one day he receives a letter from his new teacher, who asks him to send him a picture, and bring a flower and a smile to the first day. And be sure to look for the teacher wearing a huge flower hat!

Of course, not all goes smoothly, but I will say there is a happy ending. I love the story and the colorful illustrations, both sweet and reassuring. Carlos loves gardening and this works just right with a teacher who wears a flower hat on the first day of school.

Great picture book to share with your 5 year-old who is preparing for kindergarten!

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlos is anxious about the first day of kindergarten, and things go from bad to worse when the special flower he brought for his new teacher gets destroyed! But through communicating with one another, everything turns out okay. This is a sweet and simple story about first day of school jitters and how things can turn out okay when you are imaginative and communicative. Main character Carlos is Latine (gender-neutral Latino/a) with brown skin and brown hair; the author is White; the illustrator is a Mexican artist.

Themes: Kindergarten, Nervous, New Things
Age range: Preschool and kindergarten

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlos is nervous about going to kindergarten. But he feels better when he receives a letter from Mrs. Bashay, his teacher. She writes that she'll be wearing a big flowered hat and asks the students to bring a flower on the first day of school. Also, "send me a photo of you doing something you love."

On the first day, Carlos climbs onto the bus, flower in hand, but when it falls off his seat, a girl picks it up and pulls out the pedals. Now Carlos has nothing to give the teacher. What will he do?

Sweet story.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a good book to read to incoming kindergarteners. It talks about some of the anxieties about not making any friends, getting lost, etc. In the end Carlos, the main character, was proved wrong of all his fears. He made new friends and found his teacher! It’s important to remind incoming kindergartners that their fears are real and okay, but in the end everything will work out!

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carlos doesn't want to go to kindergarten but he goes anyway and brings a flower for his teacher per her request. His daisy gets ruined and he's worried his teacher will be mad but she doesn't mind, so Carlos is glad.

[Alexis Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how this book is relatable to early childhood students. I like how it talks about the struggles children have with getting older and going to school. This is something every teacher should read to anxious students.

[Kelly]

This is a cute book. I love the idea of doing/wearing something recognizable for the first day to make kids feel more welcome and at home.

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the artwork and the simplicity of the story. #janetlawler understands 1st day worries. Every child needs a teacher like Mrs. Bashay. #Bookposse @GeryRdz ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read for any worried child going to kindergarten.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

This rings joyfully true on many levels.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture Book. Carlos is about to start kindergarten, but he's feeling a bit nervous. How will he find his teacher? He gets a letter from Mrs. Bashay saying she is his new teacher and she will wear a big flowered hat on the first day of school. She asks each student to bring in a flower for the hat, a picture doing something they love, and a big kindergarten smile. Carlos deliberates between several interests for his photo and decides on a picture by the garden. This is a cute story to normalize nervousness and also shows the difference it can make for teachers to take a personal interest in their teachers. I also appreciated the visibly diverse student body on the bus and at school.