August is Get Ready for Kindergarten Month! Whether children are learning in school or at home, the transition from preschool to kindergarten is an adjustment! To better prepare your little one for this big moment, take a look at the books and digital resources available through The New York Public Library.

This list was compiled by the School Outreach department: Ariel Birdoff, Shauntee Burns, Amber Certain, Elizabeth Devora, Tessa Hamilton, Tiffany James, Thomas Knowlton, and Kaitlin Weinstein. 

Booklist

• Click, Clack, Quack to School! by Doreen Cronin, illustrated by Betsy Lewin

• David Goes to School by David Shannon

• The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López (e-book)

• Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (e-book) (video)

• El día de Sarah en el kínder by Robin Wells, illustrated by Isabella Grott

• Estaciones en el kínder by Carolyn Kisloski, illustrated by Srimalie Bassani

• How Do Dinosaurs Go to School by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague

• Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You by Sonia Sotomayor, illustrated by Rafael López

• The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes (e-book), illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

• La jornada escolar de Peppa by Meredith Rusu

• Luna y el Panda Rojo: En el colegio by Udo Weigelt, illustrated by Joëlle Tourlonias 

• Max va a la escuela (e-book) by Adria Fay Klein, illustrated by Mernie Elizabeth Gallagher-Cole

• Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten by Joseph Slate, illustrated by Ashley Wolff

• My Kindergarten in 100 Words by Sophie Beer

• My School = Mi Escuela by Ginger Foglesong Guy, illustrated by Viví Escrivá

• The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi (e-book)

• The Night Before Kindergarten by Natasha Wing, illustrated by Julie Durrell

• Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin, illustrated by James Dean

• Reglas en el salón de clases (e-book) by Dwayne Hicks, illustrated by Aurora Aguilera

• Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes

Digital Resources from NYPL

BookFlix

BookFlix is a Scholastic resource for young children that pairs a fictional story with a nonfiction text, and includes a variety of topics that will interest little ones.

TumbleBooks Library

TumbleBooks Library features animated, talking picture books that are engaging and fun for children.

BrainPOP!

BrainPOP! features hundreds of educational videos on different subject areas. While this resource is usually only available onsite at the Library, it is currently available from home due to the pandemic.

Overdrive Video

While Overdrive features a number of kids books, the popular e-reading platform also contains a number of animated children’s books that engage young readers. 

External Sites

PBS Kids

PBS Kids provides educational videos and games that reinforce important skills for young children.

Starfall

Starfall provides both free and paid content, including videos, games, and songs, that engage young learners. 

More Information for Parents and Families

NYPL At-Home Storytime Guides

NYPL At-Home Storytime Guides help families conduct storytimes at home. There are 15 guides in English, as well as six guides in Spanish, on a number of different topics, such as colors, numbers, and animals. 

NYPL Online Storytimes

NYPL’s Vimeo Channel features storytimes, programs, and more that are both educational and entertaining. Watch Olisha James, Children’s Librarian at Stapleton Library, read We Don’t Eat Our Classmates by Ryan T. Higgins—a perfect story for little ones starting kindergarten!

NYPL Recipes for At Home Play

These at home “recipes” use simple household ingredients that you may have on hand, and consist of suggested activities and ways to play, as well as talking points to extend the conversation and get your little one to make predictions, experiment, and enhance their vocabulary while they learn new concepts through play.

NYPL STEAM Activity Guides

NYPL online STEAM storytime guides feature a story, songs, rhymes, and an activity that can be done at home with your little one.

Is Your Child Ready for Kindergarten? The Skills They’ll Need This Fall from Scholastic

Scholastic, a leader in children’s books and materials, highlights a number of different skills that will help children be successful in kindergarten. 

Ready or Not Kindergarten, Here We Come! and 4 Things Kindergarten Teachers Want You to Know from the National Association for the Education of Young Children

The National Association for the Education of Young Children is a great resource for both educators and parents, and provides advice to parents on helping their children be successful in school. 

How to Get Your Child Ready for the First Day of Kindergarten from Johns Hopkins Medicine

Johns Hopkins provides guidance on structuring routines for children at home, such as bedtime and mealtime routines, and discusses overall wellness for kids just beginning school.

Preparing Your Child for School from the National Education Association

The National Education Association is a great resource for families and educators, and this article provides guidance to families looking to support their school-age children in preparing for the upcoming school year. This article includes sections on communication skills, social readiness, and more.