Pete the Cat, Pout-Pout Fish, Froggy, and even the Gingerbread Man are back from summer and ready to head *Back to School*! Join them on their first day of school adventures as they address some of the big emotions and memorable experiences that your own littles may be feeling and encountering as they go back to school themselves. Below, you’ll find more details on each reading adventure, plus a fun back-to-school, book-inspired themed craft! (Download the whole craft bundle set here)

Froggy Goes to School by Jonathan London

Froggy’s feeling a bit nervous about the first day of school. He even dreams he hops to school in only his underwear! But a fun family leapfrog game to the bus leaves Froggy excited to get to school where littles will giggle over his usually antics and charm as he navigates the first day of school~ and even has a run in with the principal! Get Your Copy Here.

Checkout the perfect book-inspired craft and create your own *I Go to School* Froggy Craft to share about your own Back-to-School adventures! Share how you get to school, how you feel about school, your teacher’s name, who you sit next to in class, and what the best part of school is. Download the craft template here.

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The Pout-Pout Fish Goes to School by Deborah Diesen

Little Mr. Fish is nervous about going to school. He doesn’t know his shapes, how to write his name, or even do math. Mr. Fish isn’t feeling too confident, until he realizes that school is the perfect place to learn all of these new skills! That’s what school is for! Plus, Mr. Fish learns 4 Facts that he can use to remind himself to be confident in his abilities. Get Your Copy Here.

After reading, create your own Pout-Pout Fish craft to remind your self of the 4 Facts of Confidence: I am Smart, I can Get It, I Belong, and I Won’t Forget It! A fun craft to boost kid’s confidence the first few days of school! Download Craft Template Here.

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The Gingerbread Man: Loose in the School

Gingerbread Man has just been baked~ fish out of the oven! But when he bell rings and the class leaves behind on the baking tray, Gingerbread Man leaps up, and runs, jumps, and skips after them, chanting in a sing-song voice: “I can catch them! I’m their Gingerbread Man!” With help from the staff, including the nurse, gym teacher, art teacher, and even the principal, Gingerbread Man finds his class and his very own sweet ending! A *delicious* tale to help littles learn about school geography and introduce them to staff members at the beginning of school. Get Your Copy Here

Read aloud the story, and then have littles create their own *Gingerbread Man* Crafts to share a map of their school and identify helpful staff members at their school. A fun activity to pair with a actual Gingerbread Man hunt of your own to take you on a tour around the school. Download the Craft Template Here.

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Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes

Our favorite singing cat is ready for school and confident that he will have a groovy-good time! In his school shoes, Pete explores and discovers all the different parts of school: the library, playground, classroom, lunch room, etc. He writes, reads, plays, and sings all day: “I’m Rocking in My School Shoes!” Get Your Copy Here

Sing along with Pete the Cat, and then encourage students to create their own *Pete the Cat* Crafts to share what they are *rocking* in their school shoes. Maybe it’s writing, reading, science, making friends, being kind~ everyone has something they are *Rocking!* Download craft template here

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I hope you and your littles have a wonderful back-to-school season and an excellent start to the new school year! Please comment below and share any other Back-to-School Titles  to add to this mini themed collection.

*~Also, I’d love to  see and hear about your own reading adventures you are having to share inclusive and diverse experiences and stories with your children, so please share your story times below in the comments –Tag me on Instagram @MaiStoryBookLibrary or FaceBook , find me on TikTok, or contact me via email . I’d love to hear from you!~

Plus, checkout out MaiStoryBook’s Interactive Read Aloud Video Playlist of Diverse Reads here.

*~Until Next Time, Happy Reading~*

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