The Story Behind The LAST Day of Kindergarten
This book is dedicated to my daughter, whose own last day of kindergarten inspired this story. Helena loved kindergarten and didn’t want to let it go. After the graduation ceremony, most kids seemed happy enough saying goodbye, but she was sobbing. She understood that growing up meant leaving things behind.
This got me thinking. There are lots of books to help children prepare for the first day of kindergarten. But what about the last day? For children like my daughter, this day is even more confusing. It brings excitement and pride, but also a sense of loss.
I hope this story will allow children to stop for just a few moments and reflect on the routines and people they’ll miss—before tossing their "funny flat hats" into the air in celebration.
One other aside: I remember writing the first draft of this manuscript amid the clamor of Chuck E. Cheese! While Helena and her friends ran around, playing all the games and collecting long streams of tickets, I sat in a booth with my notebook and jotted down the ideas that, years later, turned into this book.
This book is dedicated to my daughter, whose own last day of kindergarten inspired this story. Helena loved kindergarten and didn’t want to let it go. After the graduation ceremony, most kids seemed happy enough saying goodbye, but she was sobbing. She understood that growing up meant leaving things behind.
This got me thinking. There are lots of books to help children prepare for the first day of kindergarten. But what about the last day? For children like my daughter, this day is even more confusing. It brings excitement and pride, but also a sense of loss.
I hope this story will allow children to stop for just a few moments and reflect on the routines and people they’ll miss—before tossing their "funny flat hats" into the air in celebration.
One other aside: I remember writing the first draft of this manuscript amid the clamor of Chuck E. Cheese! While Helena and her friends ran around, playing all the games and collecting long streams of tickets, I sat in a booth with my notebook and jotted down the ideas that, years later, turned into this book.
