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Barnes, Derrick

The Queen of Kindergarten

32 pp. | Penguin/Paulsen | May, 2022 | Trade ISBN 978-0-593-11142-0 $17.99 | Ebook ISBN 978-0-593-11143-7 $10.99
(2) PS Illustrated by Vanessa Newton-Brantley. This companion to The King of Kindergarten (rev. 9/19) stars MJ Malone, all ready to go in her first-day-of-school outfit (polka dots, denim, and stripes), with rainbow-colored hair bands on freshly done braids, and her mom's sparkly tiara: "I wore this on my first day of school... But today--you will become the Queen of Kindergarten." According to MJ's conversational first-person text, queenly behaviors include: kindness, caring, and helpfulness, all traits that she displays throughout the school day. More outgoing and self-confident than some of her classmates, MJ gives a new friend a comforting hand-squeeze, helps tidy up the classroom--shown in Brantley-Newton's friendly, colorful, textured illustrations as a most appealing, child-centric place to be--and chooses a familiar storytime read-aloud about "a boy getting a royal haircut" (Barnes's Crown, rev. 11/17). Back at home, MJ shares her "perfect" first day with her loving family members, eager to hear all about it, and then she gets ready for bed--still sporting the tiara. There's no royal drama; from beginning to end, this matter-of-factly reassuring first-day-of-kindergarten story depicts a supportive family, a self-confident protagonist, an expert teacher, and new friends--all set to have a great school year.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

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