When I taught First Grade I loved to do Author Studies with the kids. It really helps the students to make text to text connections (In this book the character/author does this, but in this other book the character/author does that.) and it also helps with learning the craft of writing.
One of my favorite authors to study was Kevin Henkes. I always started the year with Kevin Henkes because of the book Chrysanthemum. The little mouse loves her name, but when she goes to school for the first time, the other kids make fun of her. She begins to feel bad about her name, until…the class finds out their teachers name. It’s a great way to talk about the fears of going to school and names. You can do lots of math and language activities with names (count the letters in your name, compare to the rest of the class, put the names in ABC order, etc). Also the children can relate to the main character and makes writing those first few weeks easier.
A common theme to point out when reading Kevin Henkes books is the fear of going to school for the first time..which is yet another reason why I used these books at the beginning of school. Chrysanthemum, Owen and Wemberly Worried all have main characters who are worried about going to school.
So if you’re looking for some great books to share with your preschooler, I’d recommend anything by Kevin Henkes! Check out his website here to see all of his other books too. And look here for some activities! Have fun!