This rhyming, brightly illustrated book is an ideal way to practice the alphabet while introducing young children to kindergarten. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Any child made anxious by the first day of kindergarten should find great comfort in this book's two parallel stories: 26 young animals--from an alligator named Adam to a zebra named Zach--get ready for their first day of school, while a teacher named Miss Bindergarten is hard at work preparing herself and her classroom for their arrival. Wolff and Slate (previously teamed in Who Is Coming to Our House?) boost the confidence of their audience by showing that Miss Bindergarten, a gentle-looking black-and-white dog in a green dress, is slightly more harried in her preparations than her students. Except for a genuinely reluctant iguana named Ian, who is dragged crying from the door of his house by his mother, the kindergarteners appear not only self-reliant but eager. Slate's text has a comforting, familiar rhythm ("Brenda Heath brushes her teeth/ Christopher Beaker finds his sneaker"), while Wolff's richly colored, busy illustrations display a keen and sympathetic eye for children's dress and behavior. The book concludes with a winning set of class portraits, each of Miss Bindergarten's pupils (except poor Ian) grinning into the "camera," the picture of self-assurance. Ages 3-6. Copyright 1996 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

PreS-K--As Miss Bindergarten, a black-and-white dog in teacher's clothing, prepares herself and the classroom for her new students, the children are also preparing for their first day at school. In alphabetical order, each of the 26 kindergartners is introduced through cleverly rhymed text with intermittent scenes of the classroom being transformed by the creative instructor. Watercolor and gouache illustrations are bright, expressive, and filled with humorous details. On the final page individual pictures of the class are displayed from Adam the alligator, Quentin the quokka, and Vicki the vole to Zach the zebra. A super animal-alphabet book with a clever twist.Virginia Opocensky, formerly at Lincoln City Libraries, NE Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Ages 4-6. It's the first morning of school, and as Miss Bindergarten arrives (early) to unpack the boxes, decorate the walls, and ready the kindergarten room for her new class, each of the new students prepares for the day as well. Alternating pages focus on the children and their teacher. The animal characters are introduced alphabetically as they make their way to school: "Adam Krupp wakes up. / Brenda Heath brushes her teeth. Christopher Beaker finds his sneaker. / Miss Bindergarten gets ready for kindergarten." If children realize that Adam is an alligator, Brenda a beaver, and Christopher a cat, so much the better, but the alphabetical learning will probably interest them less (the first time through, at least) than the activities leading to the first morning of school. Gwen McGunny packs her bunny, Henry Fetter fights his sweater, and Lennie Loom is vrooming to school in his wheelchair, a sight rarely seen in picture books. The bright ink-and-watercolor-wash illustrations fill every spread with details, some amusing, some touching, but all right on the money, that will absorb young children. With its catchy rhythm and lively illustrations, this picture book seems sure to entertain the kindergarten crowd as well as those looking forward to the experience. (Reviewed Aug. 1996)0525454462Carolyn Phelan From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.