Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick

With my youngest only a short year away from starting Kindergarten, it reminds me of my first days as a new teacher.  12 years ago I was frantically prepping my classroom for the very first time.  I anticipated 20 kindergarteners and first graders just as much as they anticipated me.

Something I had was an arsenal of read aloud books. Teachers and kids alike love books and listening to them being read out loud.  The bigger and bolder the illustrations, the better. The cuter the story, the better, I always say.  This are a few reasons I love Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten, the new book by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Daniel Jennewei.


As a child Audrey Vernick successfully completed kindergarten, where the hardest assignment she was ever given in class was to think of a word that rhymed with her first name. She is also the author, with her sister Ellen Glassman Gidaro, of the picture book Bark and Tim: A True Story of Friendship. Ms. Vernick lives with her family in Ocean, New Jersey.

Our Take:  All you need to look at is the cover, and immediately you’ll want to know more about the story! The book is all about your first days of school and using the Buffalo as the main character was brilliant.  Like some children, buffaloes are unique and special in their own way, and it’s okay to be different.  It shows kids that even if you are not good at some things, there are always ways to find your shining moment.  The book even touches on how kids (or buffaloes) may get frustrated when they are called a name, or a toy is taken, but to remember to remember the rules and get along.  The story is so great, touches on some great points and issues that children encounter going to school for the first time. The illustrations are big and bold and are drawn like crayon style art which my kids loved!  With a little bit of comedy and a lot of learning points, this would be fabulous for any parent or teacher’s book list!

The book is in hardback and available for $16.99 online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble, or at a local independent bookstore near you! 

My Giveaway:  One lucky reader of The Mom Reviews will win a copy of Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten!
————————————————–
To Enter:
MAIN ENTRY:  Tell me a memory you have of Kindergarten (even if it’s your teacher’s name!) This is your first and required entry before you can submit bonus entries!

—-Contest ends 8/30 you must include your email address or your entries will not be counted. Open to US residents only! Winners will be contacted and have 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen.
I was sent a book for review, the opinions are our tried-and-true experience and was not influenced by any source!