On the first day of Kindergarten and Cara wakes up with the
sunshine streaming through her pink shade. While she is excited to meet the
nice Mrs. Hogan, she can't get herself to eat much of the pancake breakfast
mommy makes for her. Her tummy hurts a little bit. But is it her tummy that
hurts? No! It is the feeling of anxiety when confronted with change, with a new
experience. Is Cara ready for this new step in her educational journey? As she
fears about what might happen, her mother brings powerful lessons to assure her
that all will be well and one of them is this: 'Be a friend to have a
friend.' What stories will she come home with?
Today Cara Goes to
Kindergarten by Joan Ruddiman Edd is a book that adults will explore with nostalgic
sentiments, remembering the day they faced what is before the young Cara. The author
captures a common situation and explores a haunting emotion in Cara: Her
anxiety about the new step she is about to make. The role of her parents,
especially her mother, in instilling a powerful lesson in her results in the
confidence that establishes a new friendship. The story is colorfully illustrated and it is
interesting to notice how beautifully the author captures the events of Cara’s
first day in school, allowing a brilliant portrait of her family and expertly
exploring signs of anxiety in the child. The role of the parent in instilling
trust and confidence is deftly written. Today
Cara Goes to Kindergarten is a beautiful adventure, brimming with realism
and humanity, a story with a strong lesson about growing for children.
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