Planet Kindergarten by Sue Ganz-Schmitt, illustrated by Shane Prigmore

The countdown starts before the first page we learn that our little astronaut/kindergartner has been given two thumbs-up by his doctor. The minivan blasts off, arriving at base camp only to orbit while looking for a place to dock. Prigmore shares his inspiration for the illustrations on his fantastic blog (which also includes character designs for his work on the LEGO movie!) and you can see in the images below.

Prigmore also clearly had a great time creating the classmates - I mean the "aliens from many galaxies on Planet Kindergarten" - for the book, and well he should given his film career. This level of attention makes PLANET KINDERGARTEN especially fun to pore over again and again.

The mission is over almost before he knows it, and the little space traveler heads home for a splashdown (bath) and bed. The final scene shows him "training to go back to Planet Kindergarten tomorrow," practicing sharing a red rubber ball with his toy robot.
PLANET KINDERGARTEN is so much fun and so clever, I almost with that it wasn't specifically about kindergarten so that I could read it to a wider audience. That said, I'd read it to a wide range of ages because the comparisons are so wonderful and the illustrations so amazing. Don't deprive any kids of this excellent book!
Source: Review Copy