Review Detail

Jonah wakes up and decides he really doesn’t want to go to school; he would rather go to Day Care like his little sister, Lena. Jonah quickly finds that this isn’t as fun as he thought it would be; there are crying babies all around him, and they keep taking the toys he is playing with. Since this was no fun, he decides to try going to work like his mom and dad, who must have a better time than he does at school. He finds that work is boring and very tiring, and rather than being like Lena or his mom and dad, Jonah would much rather be himself and attend school.

What I Liked: This book is a fun book for children to see what it would be like to be the other people in their family. This book takes you through the journey of what Jonah’s mom and dad do all day for work and through Jonah’s feelings regarding this. There are humorous moments throughout as Jonah tries taking the subway like his dad, or being a dentist like his mom.

The illustrations throughout this book add a layer of humor as you see the words come to life in moments like Jonah being squished on the subway or Jonah finding a patient’s mouth smelly. The illustrations are soft and will keep young readers engaged throughout the whole story. Adults will be laughing as they read this and see what work looks like to young children, and how much they wish they could trade places with their children.

Final Verdict: I Don’t Want to Go to School is a silly story that gives children the perspective of what they would be doing if they were not attending school. Children ages 4 and up will enjoy this book and laugh at the things Jonah gets up to as he tries to avoid going to school. Adults will delight in the twist at the ending, where the parents say what so many of us wish we could do instead of going to work.