ALA Booklist (Sat May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

The author-illustrator behind Not a Box (2007) begins this book with another negative don't want to go to kindergarten! I only like preschool. But by the end of the story, which covers the month of September, Annalina, the narrator, has settled in, already thinking about first grade. Portis charmingly portrays both the fears Annalina has before starting school (mean and tall kids, a scary teacher with hair like Medusa's snakes) as well as the fun she didn't know would be there. Foremost are friends and their make-believe play on the monkey bars, but there's also writing lessons, show-and-tell, the class' pet tortoise, and her first taste of homework. Although many current kindergartners face more rigorous academic demands from the start, young readers will enjoy seeing elements of their day in Annalina's. Portis' illustrations are a fun mix of the cartoonish and realistic, including lined paper throughout the book and photographic images of certain objects. It's a welcoming world for children who are somewhere in between little kid and big kid.

Kirkus Reviews

An exuberant little girl delivers a day-by-day (and sometimes half-daybyhalf-day) account of her first month in kindergarten. <p>An exuberant little girl delivers a day-by-day (and sometimes half-daybyhalf-day) account of her first month in kindergarten. From apprehension ("I don't want to go to Big School with big kids. What if they're mean?") through acclimation ("<i>Annalina </i>takes too many letters! I'm going to change my name to Anna") to "Too Busy to Write Any More!" she makes her way with flair. Utilizing the same graphically striking style that has characterized her earlier books, Portis places Anna(lina) and her classmates against a background of super-wide-ruled paper, but she adds color and collage elements to pump up the volume. She includes plenty of humorous touches, too: After the parents are all told to leave, three anxious-looking adults peer through the window at their children, who all look out at the reader, smiling. Friendships bloom, mishaps happen but throughout, "We are fine!" <i>(Picture book. 4-7)</i></p>

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

When Annalina begins her diary on September 1, the day before kindergarten, she declares that she doesn%E2%80%99t want to go to %E2%80%9CBig School.%E2%80%9D But before she knows it Annalina is mastering the monkey bars, writing her name, and making new friends. By the end of the month, Annalina is %E2%80%9CToo Busy to Write Any More!%E2%80%9D With a narrator whose voice reads like a real kindergartner%E2%80%99s and mixed media illustrations that match the energy and humor of the text, Annalina%E2%80%99s diary exudes confidence and fun. Ages 4%E2%80%938. (July)

School Library Journal (Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

PreS-K Imaginative, spirited Annalina narrates a month of days in her life, beginning with the day before she starts kindergarten. What makes this book special is that the author doesn&9;t deliver a long list of Annalina&9;s misgivings, which often give young readers extra fodder to stress about. This child simply says that she likes preschool and thinks Big School might be filled with Big Kids (&4;What if they&9;re mean?&4;). The next thing readers see, there she is in room 2K, where a diverse group of children smile, wave, and look a little sleepy. &4;Hardly anybody cried.&4; In the following entries, the youngsters learn that the teacher isn&9;t scary, that kindergarteners have their very own playground, that sharing is not only possible but also fun, and that nice things happen every day. The background for each page resembles the paper children use to practice their first writingwhite with widely spaced, light blue straight and dotted lines. Realistic and gorgeously patterned collage items outlined in black are mingled with simple paintings to create an explosion of color, shape, and texture. The narrative and illustrations are gently funny and filled with little details and jokes, enabling children to find something new with each reading. Kindergarten Diary holds its own amid an impressive assortment of cheery salves for pre-K nerves. Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY