Starting preschool can be a difficult transition for very young toddlers and their parents. To leave the security of home and parent can lead to feelings of sadness or tension.
I Go to School takes the child by the hand and leads him or her through the typical Jewish school day. Families can use this book to orient the child to what he will see: cubbies and toys, to the order of the day: circle time, arts and crafts, lunch, and rest time, followed by outdoor play and going home.
The child is reassured that there is a beginning, middle, and end to his time away from his parents. The pictures show what the abstract concept of sharing actually looks like, and the role of the teacher as a new adult in a child's life.
Going beyond the book with this title is to appreciate that our Jewishness is not reserved just for our time in the synagogue or on the Sabbath. The children in this comforting setting are expressing their identities each and every day. They give charity and make the blessing before eating bread. They cut, paste and paint Hebrew letters at their little easels. Being Jewish is natural, fun, and joyous!
Reading this book and even taking it to the classroom on the first day of preschool will make it easier to prepare for this important milestone and open a child's eyes to the excitement of a Jewish education.
