Tina’s Adventures: First Day of School is a children’s book written by Tita Horvat and illustrated by Avijit Sil. Nervous about starting her first year at school, Tina is in a panic and asks her mother why she cannot just stay in kindergarten. When she sleeps in the next morning, after a sleepless night of worry, Tina does not have time for breakfast as she is running so late. She rushes to the school bus, arriving just in time to catch it, and finds it filled with students of all ages. On several occasions throughout the day, Tina realizes that she has not only forgotten to take many essential school items with her, but groans when her empty stomach makes hungry noises. Most of the lessons which Tina learns on her first day are born out of stress, after being in such a hurry to catch the bus. When she gets home, however, she is grateful to have her favorite meal waiting for her, as she discusses how much she is looking forward to her next day at school. One of the most stressful and scary times for a young child is their first day at school, as they are taken away from the familiarity of their home, their parents, and the kindergarten friends they’d grown to know, and are thrust into a scary new world of learning. Tita Horvat has covered this quite well, whilst also covering many of the different types of things that can stress a child when they are about to start school. Leaving essential learning supplies at home, as well as lunch and compulsory indoor shoes, can make for a day filled with havoc. Equally nervous, Tina’s teacher successfully broke the stressors of the day simply by handing out cookies to her new students. I very much enjoyed Tina’s Adventures: First Day of School, and recommend it to be read to all children who are facing a new school, showing that it is not the end of the world if you make a mistake or two.
