Hello Friends! I have three wonderful back-to-school books to share with you today. I love them all so much I can’t even pick a favourite.
Title: First Day Around the World
Author: Ibi Zoboi
Illustrator: Juanita Londoño
Publisher: HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2025
About: This wonderful book connects children from all around the world as they embark on their first day of school. Daily routines, cultures, food, and landscapes are shared in a happy, upbeat manner.
When many classrooms (especially in Canada and the United States) are filled with children from all over the planet, it’s important to honour and celebrate their homelands and help them feel more comfortable in their new schools. And for the rest of the students, this important book helps to highlight the varied and beautiful cultures, countries and customs that exist all around us.
I think this book is perfect for Grades 2 and 3.
You can read more about Ibi Zoboi, an award-winning author, at her website. And be sure to check out more of Juanita Londoño’s gorgeous illustrations.
Title: Alpaca Goes Back-A to School
Author: Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen
Illustrator: Leeza Hernandez
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed, 2025
About: This is a super cute book about Alpaca’s first day at school. It’s probably best suited for 4 and 5 year-olds going into Kindergarten or pre-school.
I love the word play in this rhyming book, as the author makes up words like snack-a, knack-a, rack-a, Miss Yak-a, etc.
And I had to laugh out loud at the spread where Alpaca gets on the bus with some other animals. The “kids” all have big smiles on their faces as they say “Byeeeee!” while the two moms have tears as they wave good-bye. I’m not laughing at the moms (as I can totally relate — I was the crying mom, too) but at just how real the author and illustrator depict this first day.
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is an established author with over 50 children’s book titles to her name!
You can find Leeza Hernandez on instagram.
Title: Back to School, Backpack
Author: Simon Rich
Illustrator: Tom Toro
Publisher: Hachette Book Group, 2025
About: This hilarious book puts a whole new spin on the first day of school jitters. If you think you’re nervous, then imagine how scary it is for your backpack!
Your backpack goes from two months of relaxation in a dark closet with their friends Hamper and Winter Coat to a tumultuous day at school with a bunch of books shoved down their mouth.
Looking at school from the perspective of a backpack is so unique and imaginative, that maybe, just maybe it will help to lessen your child’s first day nerves.
There are several parts in this book where I’m sure your kids will laugh out loud: the backpack getting smacked in the butt when it’s dragged upstairs, feeling totally naked except for a little robot pin it wears, and noticing the weird toilets as it’s unceremoniously dumped on the bathroom floor.
This book will appeal to 4 to 10-year-olds — it’s that sweet and funny!
You can read more about Simon Rich and Tom Toro.
MORE BACK-TO-SCHOOL GOODIES:
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