Basically, this book is about the daily schedule for a kindergarten class, and the schedule is the same for another kindergarten half a world away! Both classes in the USA and China have the same schedule, except that one class is sleeping while the other is at school.

This book is two books in one. In the middle of the book, all the pages are suddenly upside down. So, then it is supposed to be flipped over and you see a second front cover. The book can be read, either way, USA day first, or China day first. So much fun! ( )

I enjoyed all aspects of the informational children’s book Kindergarten Day: USA and China by Trish Marx and Ellen B. Senisi. The big idea of this book is to show children the similarities and differences between daily classroom life of kindergarten in America verses kindergarten in China. I liked how this was a flip book; if you hold the book one way, it reads about American kindergarten and vice versa. Furthermore, half of the book’s pages were about China and half were about the America. The pictures were a key feature to the book. I loved how there were real photographs from kindergarten classes to really demonstrate what the text is describing. For example, there are photos of both classes playing outside during free play time on playgrounds. Lastly, the language of the text was amazing. The book is written as if the kids are writing every page. An example from the American side is, “We can use our loud voices and run and play when we’re outside.” From the China side the text says, “At recess the jungle gym is where we wan, or play. We are fishermen in sampans, sailing the sea. We are explorers, climbing a mountain.” Using the words “we” and “us” help the reader feel as if the students were explaining their experiences, which is relatable for children reading the book. ( )

Overall, I found this book to be really interesting to me. I thought it was cool how the author compared the school day in the US to one in China. I like how the author guided the book by stating the time of day first. Not only does it give you the time of day in the country you are reading it also gives you the time of day in the other county. For example, when the kids are arriving at school at 9:00 a.m. it states that it is 9:00 p.m. in China. Since the book is set up like this, it also gives the kids an opportunity to compare and contrast their school day to those in a different country and if they do the same thing at the same time. For example, they both eat lunch at the same time. I also enjoy how the book integrates the Chinese language by having a few of the basic/common words be in Chinese to help promote their language. The author provides readers with facts throughout the book to keep them interested. The book is also set-up as a "Flip-me-over-book" to represent how China and the USA are opposites of each other. When you want to learn more about the other country you have to flip the book over to mimic the idea of their geographical locations from each other. The pictures throughout the book correlate to what is being read; reinforcing the child's understanding especially when the kid doesn't understand the activity. Overall, the main idea of this book is to inform kids that both in the USA and China; schools do the same activities like one another even if they are in different places. I recommend this book to others, because it introduces students' to the concept of time and the Chinese language, simultaneously. ( )

I really enjoyed reading this book from the very beginning. The book was double sided. On one side, you read about the school day in the USA. On the other, you read about the school day in China. You see the similarities and differences between the classrooms. There are not actual characters in the story, but you can see photos of children doing their routines. I liked the aspect of not having real characters in this book, because you get a sense of realism while reading. You see the children participating in activities throughout the day, such as arriving to school, doing math, and ending the school day. There is also a clock that represents the times in both countries. At 9AM in the US, it is 9PM in China. Also, I liked that in the Chinese side of the book, they used some Chinese language, which included the characters and the spelled out words. After stating the word, they then translated the word in English in the paragraph, and again, on the bottom of the page. The main idea of this children’s book is showing differences and similarities. Even though we may be in two different countries, we still have some of the same routines. ( )

I enjoyed how this book gave insight to both cultures on how the other kindergartners spent their day. I thought the writing was easy to understand, but the sentences may have been a little difficult for some lower level readers. I also liked that you could flip the book over to see the other perspective, almost like you're flipping the world over to go to the other side of it. I wish both parts of the book provided more details about their day, and/or tried to involve the reader by providing questions about how their own day may be similar. The pictures in the book were of real life American and Chinese classrooms, which I appreciated very much. I think that any child that is reading this text will be delighted to learn more about other cultures. ( )