Read this when
Llama Llama Misses Mama
Tears at drop-off? Llama Llama knows: you can miss Mama and still love school.
Who it's for
Dewdney's rhymes name the big, physical feelings of a goodbye at the classroom door without dismissing them, and the story's structure (Mama leaves, feelings are hard, other caring people help, Mama comes back) rehearses exactly the sequence an anxious child n.
Feelings it meets
What it is
On his first day of nursery school, Llama Llama is dropped off by his mama and feels sad, shy and left behind. He doesn't want to join the games, lunch or story time and misses her terribly. With help from a kind teacher and friendly classmates he begins to join in, and by the time Mama returns he has learned that he can love both his mama and school.
Where to find it
Widely available in hardcover, paperback and board book from major booksellers and most libraries.
Before you start
Age: Preschool–kindergarten (Publishers Weekly: ages 4–8)
No man is an island, entire of itself;John Donne, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions, Meditation XVII
