Countdown To Kindergarten
1 Paperback/1 CD (see all formats)

"Does anyone except the heroine know about Kindergarten Rule Number One? (Tie your shoes by yourself!) Does anyone care that the heroine CANNOT tie her shoes but CAN count backwards from 10? The days before the start of school are anguishing as one horrible event after another is imagined. Mom and Dad reassure cheerfully, but the time to walk into the classroom arrives too soon. Rachael Lillis narrates with the straightforward verve of a 5-year-old. Her anguish and quiet despair are palpable. Echoing sound effects underscore the relentless countdown, and background conversations underscore the humor."

"In this bibliotherapeutic book written by Alison McGhee and illustrated by Harry Bliss, a five-year old girl struggles with her fears in the ten days leading up to her first day of kindergarten. She channels her fears through the anxiety caused by her inability to tie her shoe laces, a requirement for kindergarten. As the first day of school approaches, the young heroine grows increasingly dramatic as her last-ditch efforts to learn to tie or rid herself of the offending shoes are thwarted. The narration by Rachael Lillis is well paced and appropriately bouncy and childlike. Much of the story is told in thought balloons and included in the illustrations, potentially creating an uneven narrative flow, but the sound effects and varying voices help keep the story moving along with minimal confusion. One track of the recording has page-turn chimes and the other is straight narration. This pleasant package could help youngsters heading off to kindergarten face their first-day fears."