ALA Booklist (Mon Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

Henry the mouse is thrilled when he realizes it's the first day of kindergarten, and on his walk to school he imagines all the wonderful things he'll get to do. Once Henry arrives at his classroom, however, he decides he would rather go home--until he sees all the fun to be had. Experienced translator Mlawer contributes a high-quality, colloquial translation of Carlson's original sweet story, which first appeared in 1999. The illustrations, which are cleanly framed by the English text, above, and Spanish text, below, capture Henry's joyful anticipation, as well as the welcoming cheer of his new kindergarten, bustling with assorted animals and activities. Warm, encouraging support for children that reads comfortably and easily in both languages.

Horn Book (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2006)

Taback adapts thirteen well-known Eastern European tales and laces them with Yiddish words and their meanings to give the tales a flavor even a shlemiel could appreciate. The brightly colored pages are filled with gently caricatured characters; occasional collaged pieces further enliven the pages. Each tale concludes with a succinct, humorous saying that sums up its essence.

Kirkus Reviews

<p>Originally an English-only text, this new version of Carlson's cheery look at a new kindergartner's excitement is a welcome revision. Henry the mouse is so thrilled by the first day of kindergarten that he's ready to head straight from bed to school, but his mother takes him through his morning proceduresa"washing up, getting dressed (and almost tying his shoes), having breakfasta"as they discuss what he's likely to do once he arrives at school. The first sight of the room, filled with unknown children, overwhelms Henry initially, but sensitive treatment from teacher and mother lead to a successful first day. Carlson's illustrations are bright, full of action and emotion, and offer lots of particularities for young listeners and readers to attend to. Almost certainly a perennial favorite, this bilingual edition helps strapped budgets go farther. (Picture book. 3-6)</p>

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

Nancy Carlson's tale of first-day-of-school excitement now appears in bilingual format-Look Out, Kindergarten, Here I Come!/A Preparante, kindergarten! Alla voy!, trans. by Teresa Mlawer. The book features the original English text above each page's framed drawing, and the Spanish translation at the bottom. Henry, a mouse who's """"been getting ready for this day all year,"""" preps for his big adventure while peppering his mother with questions about what he'll be doing. Her answer is always a cheery scenario-distinguished by a cloud-like border-to reinforce Henry's confidence.

School Library Journal (Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2004)

K-Gr 1 Carlson's story (Viking, 1999) about a young mouse enthusiastic about his first day of kindergarten has been translated into fluent, clear Spanish. Henry gets up and almost skips breakfast, washing and dressing, and packing his supplies in his hurry to get to school. When he arrives, though, he is a little shy and worried. Those apprehensions are quickly overcome when he finds the classroom full of happy kids and fun things to do. The bright, clean cartoons have tremendous child appeal. The layout is excellent, with the illustration framed by the English on top and the Spanish on the bottom. Whether in English or Spanish, the enthusiasm of the young protagonist will communicate itself to those preparing for kindergarten and remind those mature first graders of just what it was like on that first day.