Whether starting at the kindergarten around the corner or on another planet, the mission is always a daring one. When this book's protagonist arrives at Planet Kindergarten, he discovers that his classmates from around the galaxy are just as nervous as he is. Light, tongue-in-cheek text and digital illustrations with a 1950s-throwback vibe make for a humorous space-age take on the first-day-of-school story.

For one brave boy, kindergarten isn-t just a grade-it-s a destination. He gets to school via rocket (one that looks suspiciously like his father-s hatchback), and considers his classmates to be aliens, including two that could be relatives of Cousin It. The boy adjusts to -zero gravity- (-We have to try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot-), discovers that he likes space food, and freaks out during naptime: -Is the room running out of oxygen?- Prigmore-s manic digital art gives a nod to Jetsons-era cartoons, while Ganz-Schmitt-s metaphor will ring true with intrepid readers. Ages 3-5. Author-s agent: Jennifer Unter, the Unter Agency. (May)

PreS-K A child bids farewell to his parents (who are sent back to their own planets) and begins his first mission on Planet Kindergarten. He is joined by intergalactic aliens, all reporting to a commander whose desk is littered with apples. The gravitational field is different: "We have to try hard to stay in our seats. And our hands go up a lot." Projects include exploration outside the capsule, keeping logs, and, most challenging of all, extended rest time. "Abort mission," the homesick space traveler thinks. Then he remembers what's said at NASA: "Failure is not an option." Before he knows it, he's in splashdownback home and training for his next mission. Ganz-Schmitt exhibits a fine mix of sensitivity and pizzazz in approaching the challenges that children face. With the help of Prigmore's superpowered animation-style illustrations, she offers a story that will help readers understand that kindergarten really is out of this world.— Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY