Henry

The first day of kindergarten is finally here, and Henry can't wait to paint pictures, sing songs, and practice counting. When he gets to school, though, he's not so sure he's ready for kindergarten. But before long Henry discovers that the only thing he's not ready for is how much fun he's going to have at school! This gently humorous, encouraging story will give children about to enter kindergarten an extra boost of confidence.

Henry likes kindergarten. He gets to paint pictures, sing songs, and learn his letters and numbers. But there's one thing Henry doesn't like: show and tell! His legs get all shaky and he's too shy to speak. Just in time, Henry's kind teacher, Ms. Bradley, comes to the rescue with a great plan for helping him overcome his fears.

On the first day of kindergarten in September, Ms. Bradley says, “Each day of school I will add a jelly bean to this jar. When there are 100 jelly beans we’ll have a party to celebrate 100 days of kindergarten.” What will Henry and his classmates do until the big day? In October, they share special things at show and tell. In November, they remember what they are thankful for. December brings a day to play in the snow, and in January, Henry discovers a favorite library book. Before they know it, the 100th day arrives! Now how will they celebrate?

After the first day of first grade, Henry's not sure how he feels about it. The teacher isn't like his kindergarten teacher, and the fifth-graders hog the monkey bars. But as Henry tells his mother about a new friend who likes soccer and about how he'll learn to read books, he begins to realize that maybe first grade won't be so bad after all.