Back to School Picture Books
My kid goes back to high school in less than three weeks! None of us are quite ready for the summer to be over, though I am sure we’ll settle into the routine soon enough. If your little ones would enjoy thinking about the school year in these last days of August, or you have someone nervous about starting school for the first time, here is a crop of amusing picture books to set the stage and start the conversation. Happy reading!
For even more school picture books, check out my previous post on first day of school books.
I Hate School by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross (2003)
Honor Brown’s school is a nightmare. It’s no wonder she hates it. Full of toad teacher and cruel punishments, it’s a wonder she survives until graduation. Can Honor’s stories of school really be believed? This book would be a great one for a kid who has mixed feelings about school but a great sense of humor. Favorite lines: “My friends are crooks and villains. They are priates! They are bad!”
How to Get Your Teacher Ready by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish (2017)
This clever book flips the script on going back to school. You don’t have to worry about the kids being ready; they are pros at school. But the kids should do all they can to help their teacher. From the first day through field day, Reagan and Wildish offer tips to youngsters on how they can aid their classroom teachers. Favorite lines: “When it’s time to go home, tell your teacher, ‘Good job today! Ready for tomorrow?’”
Chicken in School by Adam Lehrhaupt and Shahar Kober (2017)
An intrepid chicken sets up a school for the farmyard animals. It may not be exactly like the school the children go to, as Clara the Cow points out, but everyone has a fun day and learns something. Favorite line: “Books are for … building imagination!”
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins (2018)
Penelope Rex is excited and nervous to go to school. When she discovers that all her classmates are human children, she eats them — until the teacher makes her spit them out. It is hard to make friends after that. Favorite lines: “She stopped eating her classmates… (Even when Cece Woodman spilled BBQ sauce all over herself.)”
The First Week of School by Drew Beckmeyer (2024)
Nobody is an alien who travels to Earth and joins a classroom during the first week of school. Nobody creates a disguise so the teacher and other students think they are another new student. With small acts of kindness and generosity, they contribute to the classroom and help their classmates shine. Favorite line: “The Teacher forgot her lunch, but she finds some old cereal in a cabinet.”