Kindergarten Hat

In this mild starting-school tale, Carlos is worried that he won’t know anyone, the bus will get lost, and he won’t be able to find his teacher, Mrs. Bashay. But he’s reassured when he receives a letter from her asking that he bring a “big kindergarten smile” and a blossom to add to her “huge, flowered hat,” and that he send a photo of himself doing something he enjoys. Since “most of all, he loved gardening—the fun of his fingers in dirt, the surprise of seeds sprouting, and the brightness of the blooms,” Carlos poses for a picture in his garden, from which he plucks a daisy for the teacher. Due to a mishap on the bus, the flower doesn’t make it to school intact, devastating Carlos, but quick-thinking Mrs. Bashay finds a way to boost his spirits. Spare, jewel-toned pictures echo the sweet simplicity of Lawler and Rodriguez’s tribute to an intuitive teacher. Ages 3–6. [em](June) [/em]