Mila Wants to Go to School (Mila)

by Judith Koppens

Anouk Nijs (Illustrator)

"A straightforward addition to back-to-school books." - School Library Journal
Today Mila is going to school for the first time, and she can hardly wait to get there. But Daddy is being a real dilly-dally. Why is that? Mila doesn’t want to be late on her first day of school...


An endearing and funny story about the first day of school. For toddlers aged 30 months and up, with a focus on the child’s emotions.



At Clavis, our focus is on what’s best for children. We believe that books play an important role in each new phase in life. Our toddler books are tailored for every stage from 0 to 3 and focus on the five most important themes in their life: daily life, skills, emotions, the world, and language development. The age range and theme of every book in our toddler series can be found on the back cover in the form of a colored train.

• ISBN10: 1605375691
• ISBN13: 9781605375694
• Publish Date: 8 October 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Clavis Publishing
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 32
• Language: English

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Mila Wants to Go to School is a sweetly illustrated simple and reassuring little book about the first day of school. Originally released in Dutch in 2008, this English translation due out 22nd Sept from Clavis is 32 pages and will be available in hardcover format.

Aimed at very young children, the story is about Mila, a young girl who is very excited about her first day of school. She and her daddy walk together to school and see and interact with their neighbors, some deer, and other temptations along the way, but Mila is determined to not be distracted.

The text is simple and accessible and the art is beautifully rendered and supports the story very well. I liked that Mila's life (she divides her time between mum and dad) and her ethnicity are relatable for most kids. Representation is important for everyone and her living arrangements and ethnicity are not remarked on in the text. It's also an inclusive book (there are characters of all ages included).

The translation work is seamless and it doesn't read as though it was written in another language first. The art is full of small details which will also provide fun for hunt-and-find play during reading time.

Well done, charming and sweet. This will be a good story to read with youngsters who are heading to school in uncertain times.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.