Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten?

Balzer & Bray is an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? Text copyright © 2010 by Audrey
Vernick. Illustrations copyright © 2010 by Daniel Jennewein. All rights
reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
EPub Edition © 2010
ISBN: 978-0-06-206719-7
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
FIRST EDITION

For the heart of the herd,
Jacob and Anna,
who inspire me and make me laugh.

—
A.V.

For Lenore.

—
D.J.

S

ome people say kindergarten is no place for a buffalo.

How crazy is that?

Does your buffalo have a backpack?
Well, then. He’s definitely ready for kindergarten!

Is he feeling shy? That’s okay. It can be hard
to start something new.
Especially when your buffalo will be the
only one with horns.
                      And a mane.
                                 Okay, and a hump.

But who can resist that furry face?

Is he worried about being
the only one who’s not good
with scissors?
Or the only one afraid of scissors?
Begin simply.

Have your buffalo
hold
  the scissors.

Okay, maybe your buffalo can’t cut
—
yet!
But maybe most kids aren’t the state animal of Oklahoma.
Or pictured on old nickels.
Everyone’s special in his or her own way.
That’s the kind of thing you learn in kindergarten.

Won’t your buffalo just love recess?
He may need time to get used to the No Grazing rule.

And swings may not be for everyone.