Walker Books Australia
November 2026
ISBN13:9781922998330
Australia RRP:$29.99
New Zealand RRP:$34.99
Imprint:Windy Hollow Books
It won’t be long before everyone will be reaching for those ‘new to school’ book and this gorgeous new Agatha book from Anna Pignataro just oozes the warmth, confidence and resilience we want our Smalls to have as they embark on this big new adventure.
Like so many little people, Agatha is madly excited about starting school. She has her smart new uniform, her backpack and her shiny shoes and she can’t wait for the big day. She’s really hoping she will be in the same class with May and Yoko, her besties, but oh no! She’s not, though George is in the same class.
But she doesn’t know anyone at her table and her bubble of excitement feels like it is slowly deflating. When she finds out that Yoko and May have joined the dance club without her, and there is no more room, the bubble is completely burst.
Her parents are reassuring: there are other clubs to join, she might even find something she likes better than dance. Agatha doesn’t really want to go to school on the second day but her teacher Miss Moon has exactly what Agatha needs. She asks her to look after the new girl starting late, Uma, and – just like that – Agatha has a new friend, who teaches her new things like handstands and somersaults and they both join the gymnastics club which is MUCH better than dance. Agatha does find something she loves – in fact, she finds a whole lot of things she loves.
This is a gentle and sweet story that will reassure those Smalls, especially those who might be a little bit wobbly to start with. After all, it really is a very big adventure for some. This will be a perfect first-week-of-school shared read or a great one to share with your incoming Preps who might be visiting for their orientation day.
I love the illustrations and your kiddos will definitely have fun identifying all the different students’ species, not to mention all the favourite things from home they draw for their learning wall. What a perfect follow-up activity that would be!
Easy as to give this one a 5 🏫🏫🏫🏫🏫 – if you still have budget open buy it now, otherwise get it on your orders list in time for the first week.
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