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PRESCHOOL
Fortenberry, Julie

Pearl Goes to Preschool

32 pp. | Candlewick | July, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-1-5362-0743-9 $16.99
(2) PS Why should ballet-loving Pearl go to preschool when she already spends every day at her mom's dance school? When Mom points out that Pearl can learn different things at preschool, such as the alphabet and counting, Pearl's not convinced: "'I know how to count,' I say. 'First position! Second position! Third position!'" Their conversation continues as they head home from the dance studio, attend a performance of The Nutcracker, and share a ballet story before bed. Before she falls asleep, Pearl tells her ballerina mouse toy, Violet, everything she knows about preschool, and "Violet" decides preschool sounds okay after all. The next day, Pearl (with Violet in tow) gives preschool a try; she has a blast making new friends, finger-painting, playing dress-up, and making music. Pearl infuses her love of ballet into each of these activities, and when Mom later asks about Pearl's favorite part of the day, the answer, naturally, is "dancing!" Told primarily in simple dialogue between mother and daughter, this gentle story presents starting preschool as a new but not altogether unfamiliar or frightening experience. Digital illustrations in a line-and-watercolor-wash style with a soft palette portray Pearl in nearly perpetual motion among diverse classmates at both schools and are full of ballet-themed details to appreciate.
Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

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