llama llama misses mama

Author/Illustrator: Anna Dewdney

Publisher: Viking

ISBN: 978-0-670-06198-3

Imagine that… a child having a hard time adjusting to school.  Major life transitions are tough… especially for a child!  As adults, I am sure most of us can look back to that time when we were children and faced a similar situation.  Llama’s reaction is a very common one. 

Like most children, Llama has a smile on his face as his mother helps him prepare for the day.  Then the reality of going the whole day without her sets in as Mama drives off, and he is left alone in school with a lot of “new”.  When Llama secludes himself from classroom activities, the teacher knows just how to turn his frown upside down.  With the help of the class, the teacher assures Llama that every day his mama will come back to get him.  Finally he lets loose, and settles into the daily routine of school.

I clearly remember my first day of preschool.  The second my mom tried to leave, I cried as loud as I could and latched onto her.  It seemed so scary at the time, so much “new” all at once!  I can definitely relate to Llama, and to children I teach in my preschool class who experience separation anxiety.  llama llama misses mama has helped a great deal with these children, and the children who are well-adjusted really enjoy the book as well. 

llama llama misses mama is a wonderful book for children for many reasons.  The rhyme, rhythm and repetition of the story keep the children’s ears wide open as we flip through the pages of Llama’s emotional day.  To complement the literature, Dewdney illustrates every page with vivid depictions to match the text.  The proof is in the pudding.  I have read the book to my students several times and each time it was a hit.

David Goes To School.

Author/Illustrator: David Shannon

Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

ISBN: 978-0-545-29251-1

Imagine that... an elementary school student is having a tough time staying out of trouble in class.  We all know the list of rules that are expected to be followed in the classroom; not to mention how exhausting it can be to follow every single one!  In the book David Goes to School, David reminds us just how much easier it is to pass time when you have a little fun.  Unfortunately for David, this must be done at the expense of constant reminders to settle down and ultimately... detention.


Throughout his school day, David finds himself being admonished for his tardiness, his inability to be patient, and a handful of other childish acts.  David appears to be nothing more than a distraction for the rest of the class.  At the end of the day the teacher still gives David a pat on the head and rewards him with a star- a positive reinforcement that, as a teacher, I know well.  Simply because a child is a bit misbehaved does not mean they are not trying.


Before reading this book, the illustration on the cover implied mischief to me and instantly reminded me of myself in elementary school.  While reading the story beyond the cover, each page continued to be a flashback to my days in P.S.45.


I would not describe myself as being a bad kid, but my name was frequently on the “bad” list along with the other regulars.  I rarely made it to the “good” list, with it's set of regulars. Each day one of the “good” children was chosen to be the monitor and write the list.  I especially remember this clearly from the fourth grade where my teacher, Mrs. Friedman, eventually assigned me a seat that was off to the side, isolated from the rest of the class.


I remember my teachers constantly telling me to pay attention; many reports of parent teacher conferences were about my talking and daydreaming in class.  It seems like David and I have many things in common.  This is one of the numerous reasons why I enjoy this book and love to share it with my students.


From cover to cover there is no wonder why author/ illustrator David Shannon received a Caldecott Honor.  Each page is a timeless portrait of any classroom, on any day, in any school in America. In many of the pages I can see myself in David’s place being politely scolded for my excited behavior. With seasonal decorations, a globe, and a poster board of the alphabet, it is also a tiring reminder of how much effort we teachers put into the decorating of our own classrooms.