Rosie Goes to Preschool

Wearing a welcoming smile and a bright pink dress dotted with daisies, a girl named Rosie tells readers what to expect at preschool in this reassuring outing featuring Katz's characteristically round-headed, rosy-cheeked toddlers. Rosie calmly breezes through the day's activities, like singing songs and listening to stories during circle time, or playing with clay when it's time for art. Throughout, small circular bursts offer "Rosie Tips" for preschool success ("Don't forget to raise your hand if you want to talk"). Cozy, inviting graphics and a narrative that's never anything less than confident combine to create a gentle resource for relieving preschool butterflies. Ages 2-5. (July)

PreS—Rosie shows and tells readers what she does in her preschool class. She includes tips for readers like "At play time, you can play by yourself or with a friend" and "When everybody works together, cleanup goes faster." Katz's characteristic bold, colorful design of collage and mixed-media illustration conveys friendly and reassuring thoughts about going to school, while representing children of many ethnicities. This large-format book with straightforward text has an easy-to-follow story line. Preschool teachers may choose this as a read-aloud during the first few days of school, or parents of children entering preschool might find this simple narrative helpful for guiding conversations about going to school. VERDICT A solid introduction to the preschool experience.—Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa