“Papa and Paws First Day of School” is a delightful book that I used in my classroom. It helped my students understand that it is normal to feel afraid on the first day of school and the importance of making new friends and trying new things.

Additionally, I taught my students that being prepared makes everything easier.

The illustrations in the book are adorable and lifelike. Children of all ages will love the puppies in this book. It is an excellent read-aloud book for younger readers, while emergent readers will enjoy reading it themselves and looking at the illustrations. I highly recommend this book for both classroom and home libraries.

The first school day can be an emotional time for children and parents. Each might have difficulty letting go. When the time comes to say goodbye, the child has to face a room with new faces, sounds, rules, and routines.

Momo and Zozo are six-month-old puppies about to attend their first day of puppy school. Zozo is excited for the first day, while Momo faces the event with nerves. Their mixed reactions are typical of what real kids face each year. Some are excitedly jumping, ready to enter the new classroom, and eager to make new friends. Other kids fear starting anew, and you must prod them in the classroom. Kids in each category check and double-check if they have everything for their first day.

Momo worried about finding a partner in class and having enough supplies. Most kids can relate to forgetting their pencils, lunch, or other essential school supplies. As for buddying up with a classmate, this can be a scary time when you are new and shy. Again, this real-life scenario will speak to young listeners who worry about facing or have faced the same situation.

Momo and Zozo each began the day with different emotions, but they ended it with the same expression: A humongous smile on their puppy faces.

This adorable picture story is perfect for any child preparing to start school, whether a daycare class, pre-k, or kindergarten. Educators, this is a marvelous book to read on the first day of school.

Parents and teachers, I recommend adding the book to your back-to-school reading list! The story is fantastic, and the illustrations are equally wonderful. Whether your child is a team cat or team dog, they will find at least one pooch in Ms. Biscuit’s class that they find super cute. For me, that was Zippy. I loved how their tongue was the only one hanging out when the students were lined up, patiently awaiting instructions. So cute!

Amazon’s recommended reading age is birth to five years.

First Day of Puppy School is about two pups going to their first day of Puppy School, kind of like our preschool. The story is about meeting new people, leaving home for the first time, making friends, sharing and obeying. The book is very short, I think it could have easily been a little longer to make it feel more complete. The aspect of sharing and meeting new people, even people who are different are very well handled in a short, to-the-point manner that kids will appreciate well. The illustrations were good, but some of the puppies had a mean look to them that I did not like and would worry how little kids would react to them (reason for removing one star).

We read First Day of Puppy School with our son and he loved it! He was engaged the entire time, pointing at pictures and asking questions. It’s a great message for him too, as he will be starting pre-school in the fall. Nice work!

My kids all loved this book. The 8 year old loved the Ebenezer puppy. The five year old loved the whole thing. The baby loved seeing the puppies. I appreciated the message about how being nervous was okay but in the end, it’s likely to turn out well.