Book Review of Today I Joined a Preschool
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The Children’s Book Review
Today I Joined a Preschool
Written by Liza Martini
Illustrated by Sarah Gledhill
Ages: 4-6 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Atmosphere Press (2026) | ISBN: 979-8901742365
What to Expect: New experiences, preschool, following rules, making friends.
In this adorable and tongue-in-cheek picture book, readers will meet Jaxon: a serious, stoic, and very introspective preschooler with a large vocabulary and a lot of concerns.
Jaxon is going to be trying something new: he’s going to try going to preschool!
However, he knows that trying new things is not always easy—there will be a lot to learn and figure out as he goes. His new school seems to be full of rules, some of which he can try to guess (don’t talk too much about yourself, sit to one side if you’re not sure how to play), and others which are completely mystifying (one slide for climbing and one for sliding down?!) and difficult to puzzle out. Then, a wonderful thing happens—Jaxon meets a friend, and he already knows the rules! Trying new things can be challenging, but with a friend at your side, figuring it out becomes an adventure.
Readers will love how the first-person narration uses grown-up language and workplace perspectives to describe his confusion on his first day at preschool, adding humor but also echoing how weighty such experiences can feel in the moment. The hand-drawn illustrations feature soft watercolors and darker pen linework, rendering the characters both realistically individualized and expressive. The ponderous language makes this story especially fun to read aloud, and readers will learn some fun new words as they go.
Perfect for reading with any child about to go to preschool for the first time, Today I Joined a Preschool is sure to keep providing reassurance and enjoyment all through the school year and beyond.
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About the Author
One day, Liza Martini was asked by her son’s principal to start a library for the school, which of course she did, and completely lost herself for the next eight years building a K-8 collection, running book fairs, teaching library skills, and most importantly, reading to students of all ages, because kids never tire of a good story!
After a brief stint in a preschool, where she met many children like Jaxon, she is once again having the time of her life helping a new school build its K-12 library and sharing quite a few of her old classic friends with clever new people. She currently has two award-winning middle-grade books, but this is her very first picture book.
Visit Liza Martini at www.thebookkeep.org.
About the Illustrator
Sarah Gledhill describes herself as both an illustrator and an art director/production designer, with a focus on infusing creativity and beauty into every project. After decades spent bouncing around the hot African veld in a Landy, sharing life and adventures with four sons and a wonderful variety of animals, Sarah is now happily rediscovering the cherished, fragile worlds of the hedgerows, woodlands, waterways and dry stone walls of the UK.
Learn more about Sarah Gledhill at www.sarahannegledhill.com/about-me.
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