Childrens Book Review: The Last Day of Kindergarten by Nancy Loewen, Illus by Sachiko Yoshikawa

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book, free of charge, via the Amazon Vine Program, for review purposes. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it

This book arrived while Miss Grace was home with her virus/allergy reaction to meds last week,
 so it was a great distractor!

Synopsis: Today is the last day of kindergarten. I wish it were the FIRST. Then I’d meet Mrs. Popinski all over again. A little girl is sad that kindergarten is coming to an end. She wishes it were the first day again, when everything was exciting and new and there was such a fun year ahead. But then she realizes that graduating is exciting, too, and maybe first grade won’t be so bad, after all! Bright mixed-media artwork is a perfect complement to the text.

Review:  This book was a finalist in the 2012 Minnesota Book Awards, and the honor was well received! The author says "There are lots of books to help children prepare for the first day of kindergarten. But what about the last day? For children like my daughter, this day is even more confusing. It brings excitement and pride, but also a sense of loss. That's why I wrote this book. I hope this story will allow children to stop for just a few moments and reflect on the routines and people they'll miss--before tossing their funny flat hats into the air in celebration." . She's right- I searched for an appropriate book, and this was the best that I found!

Miss Grace isn't quite so eager for First Grade- with no 'creative play' time and 'quiet time', she is apprehensive for her future school day, so this book was a great way for us to share some great memories of this past school year, and for her to see that her fears were not her's alone!

The illustrations are very sweet and help to bring out comments and memories from your child. Miss Grace did feel a little superior about things her class already does, like eat in the cafeteria, that the Kindergartners in the book don't do. Which actually helped to give her confidence about next year!

If you are looking for something for the last days of school, or for the beginning or Summer vacation, this is THE book to buy! 

About the Author:  Nancy Loewen writes fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults. She's published more than one hundred books and has received awards from the American Library Association, the Association for Educational Publishers, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street Children's Book Committee, and the Association of Writers and Writing Programs.She holds an MFA in creative writing from Hamline University, St. Paul.

Nancy was born in Mountain Lake, a small town in southwestern Minnesota. Currently she lives in the Twin Cities with two dogs, two cats, two teenage children, and one husband. She likes to read, garden, cook, walk her dogs, travel, and collect weird objects from thrift stores. To learn more about Nancy and her books, visit her website at www.nancyloewen.com.

About the Illustrator: Sachiko moved to San Francisco from Japan in 1988 to study art. Her initial interest in art was jewelry making and then, gradually, graphic design. Later she branched out into mixed media and began creating narrative illustration. Currently, she enjoys creating whimsical and vibrant illustrations using collage and mixed media such as balsa wood, as well as with traditional techniques. Much of her work has been inspired by living and traveling in the United States and abroad. She has lived in Tokyo, California, Arizona, Oregon, Washington and currently, in Wisconsin. She has also lived in Uganda, in East Africa. She currently lives in California with her husband and daughter.