The Kissing Hand: First Day of School Jitters/ A Book Review

Audrey Penn's The Kissing Hand Will Reassure Many Small Children Anxious About Leaving Mom and Dad on the First Day of School

The first day of school can be heart wrenching for both child and parent. Especially for a child who is leaving Mom or Dad for the first time, separation can cause a great deal of anxiety. What better way to overcome the challenges of separation than with this endearing story about a little raccoon who is hesitant about leaving his Mom to go to his first day of kindergarten.

When Chester tells his mother on the first day of school that he cannot bear to leave her, she encourages him with a special gift. She kisses the palm of his hand and tells him that if ever he feels lonely, he can put his hand against his cheek and her kiss will be there, showing him he is loved and thought about. He needn't worry that he is alone because her love goes with him wherever he is.

What child has not had moments when he has felt alone and sad to be separated from Mom? And what mother, for that matter, has not had her own moments of not wanting to let go? Chester has a solution for his mother, as well. He plants a kiss on her palm and tells her she, too, can put her palm against her cheek when she feels lonely for him. This is the part that pulled at my heart strings. Moms often cry on the first day of kindergarten, too.

When I worked in a preschool, I witnessed many tears on the faces of both children and their mothers. These tears are nothing to be ashamed about. They are a sign that mother and child are firmly bonded, which is important for any child's healthy development.

But sometimes, positive though this sign may be, teachers need to help both sides deal with the feelings underlying these tears. Stories help children deal with their emotions. An early childhood teacher can build a little unit around the story of Chester Raccoon and his mother using the book, the Chester Raccoon puppet, and a baking activity to make heart-in-hand cookies. The children can eat one of these cookies at snack time and can take home a cookie to share with someone special that he or she misses. In this way, the children will be encouraged to work through their fears and will be more able to express their feelings of love to someone at home.

Audrey Penn has written a few other books that expand on Chester and his mother and the issues that sometimes come up in childhood.

In one book, Chester is afraid of the dark and needs his mother's reassurance that he is safe.

Another story deals with the difficulties of leaving a well-loved community and moving some place new. This situation is a reality for many kids whose parents get a job in a different community or who need to move for one reason or another. Chester Raccoon can help a child readjust to a new home.