We know it is just the start of summer, but as always it will go by fast. Here’s a parenting heads-up — it’s perfectly natural toward the end of August for children to start getting anxious about the new school year. It’s not only kindergartners who can feel reluctant; just about any kid can feel hesitant.
Apparently, New Jersey writer Annie Silvestro knows this feeling well. Her latest picture book Butterflies on the First Day of School (Sterling Children’s Book, 2019) is about Rosie, a sweet little girl who can’t wait to start school. Yet when the big day arrives her tummy starts to hurt. Her mom tells her it’s just butterflies dancing around in her belly. And wow is Rosie surprised when she says hi to a new friend on the bus and a butterfly flutters right out of her mouth! Are there more butterflies to come? We can guarantee it. This gentle tale, beautifully illustrated by Dream Chen, can help calm elementary school kids and perhaps parents as well.
