Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A bubbly kindergartner crew of varying abilities and skin tones keeps a jaunty beat during preparations for their continuation to first grade. Heling and Hembrook highlight anticipation as the kids don blue caps and gowns, pose for photos, and remember how far they've come in lines that highlight kindergarten experiences: "Got the graduation groove/ in my kindergarten heart./ Know my letters and my numbers,/ feeling first-grade smart." For one brown-skinned child getting ready to take the graduation stage, everything freezes momentarily as "first-grade jitters" take hold. Though "I'll really miss our hamster/ and projects that we made," the friendly faces of family and an enthusiastic audience help the figure get things back on track, head to the class party, and look forward to a new year. Rivera Sonda's sunny illustrations add to the book's friendly, assuring vibe about moving on from--and into--beloved experiences. Ages 3--6. (Mar.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--In this celebration of the transition from kindergarten to first grade, snappy, rhythmic text follows a group of kindergartners who are diverse in race and ability as they express their exuberance and readiness to move on to the next grade. Each page offers four stanzas in a repeated pattern, starting with "Got the graduation groove in my kindergarten heart/brain/head/hands," and finishing with two lines about first grade. The illustrations show the students preparing for a graduation ceremony, complete with blue caps and gowns. The tone is ebullient, at least until one of the children crosses the stage, experiencing a moment of nervousness and reluctance about moving on. The children's faces are fairly uniform, with dots for eyes and little button noses. The vignettes, often in the form of scrapbook pictures depicting the highlights of the year, are merged with swirls of dots, stars, and musical notes. VERDICT This book is a great addition on the topic of entering first grade, even more so because it features students and teachers of many races, ethnicities, and abilities, in an engaging and joyous school environment.--Clara Hendricks, Cambridge P.L., MA
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Myriad books talk about the first day of school; few address the other end of that rite of passage: kindergarten graduation. Combining scenes of the kindergarten students as their day progresses toward that fateful moment onstage with mentions of body parts in the rollicking verses, Heling and Hembrook really maximize the beat. "Got the graduation groove / in my kindergarten hands. / I'm putting on my cap, / making first-grade plans." Though not all the verses scan so well, they give readers/listeners an idea of what graduation looks like, a look back at all the things they learned in kindergarten that will serve them well in first grade, and some of the things they might miss as well as a few they have to look forward to. "Got the first-grade jitters / in my kindergarten skin. / What if I don't like it? / My insides start to spin." Sonda's bright, pastel-hued illustrations show a diverse class; many of their family members are in the audience and at the celebratory party afterward. Though body type is largely similar, there's a wide range of skin tones. One child uses forearm crutches, another a wheelchair, and a third sports pink glasses. The kids' exuberance can barely be contained on the pages. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9.8-by-16.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 28.2% of actual size.) A solid pick for the end of a momentous year (though not this Covid one). (Picture book. 4-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
