My son started kindergarten yesterday! He was excited and happy getting on the bus for his first day in elementary school. When he got home he was beaming and told us all about his great day!
I, on the other hand, felt a little lost without my buddy. I was so excited for him and proud of him for fearlessly entering kindergarten. I cannot wait to watch him learn, make friends, become more independent, and find his passions. But I keep flashing back to all our days at home together over the last five years…
Doing science experiments together, building legos, playing at the playground, playgroups with friends, working out together, enjoying library story time, teaching him to talk and walk, spending all day most days with him…
I cherish our time together and I am so grateful I got to be a stay at home mom to experience it all with him. I am glad I got to teach him so much and watch him grow. I know he will blossom and grow even more now that he is in elementary school, and I couldn’t be more thrilled for him.
Before he started kindergarten I was fortunate enough to get a pack of five books for the Penguin Kids Back to School Blogger Campaign. We received If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen, The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, Raise Your Hand by Alice Paul Tapper, I’m Trying to Love Math by Bethany Barton, and Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend! by Cori Doerrfeld.
We enjoyed reading these five back to school books before he started kindergarten. Today we’re focusing on If I Built a School by Chris Van Dusen and talking about what we’d put in our school. Next week I’ll share my full reviews of all five books, plus watch my Instagram for a The King of Kindergarten book giveaway!
In If I Build a School, author/illustrator Chris Van Dusen creatively imagines Jack’s dream school. It features animals in the entry, glass tubes to get to class, amazing flower inspired classroom pods, hover desks, learning with holograms, 3D books, and so much more!
The school was quite frankly beyond my imagination but so fascinating to read and see the dazzling illustrations.
I especially like to point out to my kids that everything he imagines in the book can be created by someone with a career in a STEM field. Scientists, computer programers, engineers, and mathematicians work together to create amazing things, and one day they can make things as fascinating as what Jack imagines for his school.
After reading the book (my kids made me re-read it at least 5 times in a row after our first read through), I asked my kids what they would put in their school?
My son enthusiastically said books, lots and lots of books! Maybe it’s because of all the new books I’ve been reading him lately but he really loves books and reading. That makes me so proud, and I told him that would make a really great school.
My daughter said she would put lots of many things. Lots of pans, fans, lights, volcanoes, milk, balconies, costumes, covers, sunglasses, rooms…She wants everything she can see in there! Sounds amazing to me!
I thought about what I would put in my dream school. I decided my school would focus on science and math and feature many fully stocked chemistry labs. Kids could spend the day doing any chemistry experiment their heart desired. Math would be made interesting and fun by the most talented teachers. And of course, I agree with my son, the school must have lots and lots of books!
We want to hear from you! What would you put in your school?
If you’d like your own copy of If I Built a School, you can purchase it on Amazon here.
Note: This post contains affiliate links. You may read my disclosure here.
