The Day my mom came to kindergarten / Maureen Fergus and Mike Lowery.

"I liked kindergarten from the very 1st day," begins the narrator of this very funny and touching picture book. However, she notices, "My mom was happy for me, of course, but I got the feeling that she was also a little sad" to leave her. So one day the little girl invites her mom to join the kindergarten class for the day, which turns out to be a real learning experience --- for both of them. Somehow her mom just can't get any of the rules right: she barges to the front of the line, she shouts out without raising her hand, she slams down her scissors during Craft Time. How embarrassing! In a wonderful role reversal that will delight young children, the girl must become the patient and sometimes frustrated expert who instructs her mom on how to behave. Author Maureen Fergus has found a unique way of telling a school story that allows children to feel rewarded about how much they know. The spare style and juvenile sensibility of the artwork by Mike Lowery perfectly conveys the hilarity of the story. This book would be a popular, entertaining read-aloud, especially for kindergartners themselves. It ties in beautifully to character education lessons on patience or perseverance. The little girl is a wonderful role model for how to be generous and kind to others who are struggling with something new, while also providing a humorous lesson on why it's important to follow the rules.

Reviews (5)

School Library Journal Review

PreS-K-A nameless little girl likes everything kindergarten so her transition toward independence has been easy for her, but not for her mother, whom she invites to join her for a day in class. Her mother is excited about the opportunity but her actions are more than a bit embarrassing when she doesn't wait her turn in line or take off her outside shoes. Her daughter gives her gentle reminders to follow the expected behaviors but Mom keeps having outbursts and shows a lack of self-control. Dismayed by her behavior, the child consults her teacher and is reminded that it takes a while to get used to something new. The girl is pleased when her mom displays more appropriate behavior and learns the rules that every kindergartener knows. At the end of the day, the woman decides to stick to things she is good at and leave the kindergarten activities to her daughter. Lowery's cartoon art is simple and expressive, accurately displaying activities of a kindergarten classroom. This is a fresh and funny look at a familiar subject that both children and parents will enjoy.-Diane Antezzo, Ridgefield Library, CT (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publisher's Weekly Review

Middle-grade author Fergus (Ortega) makes her picture-book debut with the story of a put-upon kindergartener who is more than ready for school; the same can't be said for her mother, though. The premise recalls Hyewon Yum's recent Hey Mom, It's My First Day of Kindergarten, and this book relies on the same comedic contrast between a confident, well-adjusted kid and a parent who just doesn't get it. However, Fergus and Lowery distinguish their offering with lively humor and a bright, welcoming cartoon aesthetic. After neglecting to wait in line to enter the classroom, the young narrator's mother forgets to put her shoes in her cubby, makes a mess at lunch, and otherwise mortifies her daughter. But with patience and some teacherly wisdom ("Ms. Beaudry said I should remember that Mom had never been to our class before"), mother and daughter are able to reach an understanding. Young readers will giggle over the parental talking points the girl deploys ("I'm proud of how hard you tried today, Mom"), while perhaps recognizing some of their own foibles on display. Ages 3-7. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Horn Book Review

A girl invites her mother to spend the day with her in kindergarten. Mom is enthusiastic but doesn't follow the class rules, which embarrasses her daughter greatly. By the end of the day, she does much better and makes fewer mistakes. The simply composed Photoshop illustrations match the text's humorous tone, but the girl narrator's know-it-all attitude makes the story a bit didactic. (c) Copyright 2013. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Review

Mom manages to make about every mistake in the kindergarten book when she visits school one day. Mom looks a little woebegone when she drops her daughter off at kindergarten, so her daughter invites her to come for the day. But Mom doesn't know the rules, so she neglects to take off her outdoor shoes ("I was SHOCKED," says her daughter), talks out of turn ("VERY EMBARRASSING, Mom"), spills crumbs from her sandwich, blabs during storytime and grumps when her art project doesn't turn out. But she gradually gets the hang of things, and by the end, she is almost a kindergartener, though the chairs really are too small. Fergus has provided a fun poke at role reversal, with the mother as the utter miscreant and the daughter striking an admonitory note. It has a nice, natural touch, and it should be a solace for any kid who worries about entering kindergarten: Mistakes are not the end of the world. Lowery provides a strong supporting background with strong lines and great fields of color in his illustrations. The artwork also squares readers to the kindergarten setting: You can almost smell the crayons and feel in the cubbies for your shoes. A well-observed kindergarten whimsy. (Picture book. 3-7)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

In this droll bit of role-reversal, a kindergartener's spur of the moment invitation to her mom to join the class uncorks a shocking round of misbehavior. Who would think that a mom would have to be told not to push to the head of the line, shout out answers, dawdle on the way back from the restroom, or talk during story time? In Lowery's simple cartoon scenes, the narrator and her classmates look on with stunned expressions at the parental malfeasance while the teacher takes it in stride: Once your mom gets used to the way we do things, I'm sure she'll learn how to express her thoughts and feelings in more appropriate ways. Indeed, Mom is much better by the end of the day. Tongue so firmly in cheek that it might have to be surgically removed, Fergus crafts a switcheroo that will have children rolling on the floor and, along with certain parents and less-experienced teachers, getting the point, too.--Peters, John Copyright 2010 Booklist

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