Thanks to NetGalley and Purple Diamond Press Inc for an advanced reading copy of this book.

My Teacher Says: A Day at School will be released to all retailers on July 22, 2025.


I was a teacher for 18 years and this upcoming year will be my first year as a librarian. I am very excited! As I was reading this book, I loved how it is perfect for read alouds! The repetitive text will have students reading with the teacher, while discussing rules essential to a great school year. The illustrations are the icing on the cake. A fun reading experience for all!

What a thoughtful book! I really loved the diversity to include children in the book. I also loved the core message of being kind and learning so much from teachers. This can be an example to educators and to students that school can be fun but also valuable. Very nice read!

The rhymes are nice with a good emphasis on kind actions and behaviors: the illustrations were beautiful and I think it’s a good book to read at the start of school for preschool and kindergarten ages.

Reminds me of the days when my kids came home with endless versions and situations when they told us that very thing. This time it is the wisdom of teachers instilling good things in rhyming repetition that helps the children grow kind and tolerant of others. And the children are not all one color nor are all independently mobile. Yea inclusivity!
The illustrations by Eduardo Pupa are simple, imaginative, and FUN depictions of several kinds of activities mostly in the classroom.
Well suited for reading alone or WITH someone of any age, including ESL, and great for gifting to everyone, but especially to a school, waiting room, or your local public library!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital Galley on Thorium PDF from Purple Diamond Press Inc | Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles via NetGalley. Pub Date Jul 22 ,2025
#MyTeacherSaysADayAtSchool by @cmharrisbooks illustrated by Eduardo Pupa @pupaoquedesenha @purplediamondpress @ibpalovesindies #PictureBook #KindnessInClass #TeachersOfInstagram #BooksForKids #MyTeacherSays #ChildrensBooks #ReadAloud #SchoolLibrary #ClassroomReading #BackToSchoolBooks #KindnessMatters #NetGalleyFinds #netgalleyreads #elementaryartteacher #myteachersaysdayatschool #schooldays #melanin @bookbub #weneeddiversebooks #diversebooks #backtoschool #teachersforteachers #elementary #library #kidlit #picturebook @goodreads @childrensbookcouncil #NetGalley *****review

This book was adorable. I read it to my daughter. It had great lessons and the rhyming was cute. My favorite part was the kindness checklist at the back. We also loved the illustrations! Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a sweet book about going to school and remembering all the rules about being on your best behavior while having fun in the form of rhymes and beautiful pictures.

My pre-schooler loved it and even saw the resemblance of his own teacher in the teacher in the book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a magnificent back to school read! Rhyming and positive instructions throughout, with whimsical imagery. Diversity in skin tones and physical ability pictured in the classroom and family. Kindness checklist in the back.

My Teacher Says: A Day At School is a cute rhyming book following the daily routine of a student heading to school. The repetitive sentence starter "My teacher says..." is great for young readers with predictability of sentence structure. I love the themes in the book, a lot of them based around kindness (words & actions). Illustrations depict diverse classrooms including students with physical disabilities (students in wheelchairs).

Thank you NetGalley, Purple Diamond Press Inc, and C.M. Harris for access to the advanced reader copy of My Teacher Says: A Day at School.

A very sweet and inclusive little book on kindness and starting school. Beautifully illustrated. The only thing I didn’t like was there was a line that was telling kids not to cry. Even if the author meant well and simply included that to complete the rhyme studies have shown that discouraging children from feeling all of their emotions can be harmful, traumatic, and emotionally stunting to them. As a parent of kiddos with Autism, I think it’s especially important to acknowledge we’re all human and that there are no bad emotions, and it’s important to be able to feel and navigate through them all.

This book was so sweet and a really great way to teach kids that school and books are fun! I loves that this book featured a black child and it is very fun to see that my kids will have books with characters that look like them. The illustrations were also so great and I loved the detail! I would recommend this book to others!

My Teacher Says: A Day at School is a beautiful and engaging story that deserves high praise. The rhyming format is both fun and educational, and the inclusive illustrations featuring diverse children are a breath of fresh air. This book captures the essence of kindness, school readiness, and classroom routines in a way that’s relatable for children and helpful for parents and teachers alike.

While one reviewer expressed concern about the depiction of a warm morning routine at home, it’s important to remember that many children do come from loving and nurturing homes—and those experiences deserve to be represented too. Children’s books should reflect a wide range of lives and perspectives. Not every child will connect to every scenario, and that’s okay. It’s impossible to please everyone, especially when writing for such a broad and diverse audience. Think about children's shows and movies here, c'mon, silly to give a low rating because of a positive storyline.

As for the minor typo (“seperare” instead of “separate”) found in the end-of-book checklist, the author will if not has already acknowledged it—and since the book hasn’t been officially published yet, surely it will be corrected before the final release. Easy fix!

Huge thanks to the author for creating such a meaningful, joyful, and well-intentioned book. It’s clear that My Teacher Says was written with heart, and it’s a wonderful addition to any early childhood library. Every teacher with little students should have this book to share with students.

I love the inclusive imagery in this story, as many diverse children are represented. The rhyming writing style is engaging for children and a good teaching point. One thing that made me a little concerned included the morning routine at home. It is out of the control of many students as to whether they have breakfast and are cared for in the mornings. I think it is wonderful that the student in the book received a big pile of waffles and toast for breakfast, however highlighting the importance of this might be upsetting for students who do not have this love at home. I liked the focus on kindness and the checklist at the end (as another reviewer mentioned, there is a typo in the word seperate).

The book had everything a children’s book needs: funny and educational writing, beautiful illustrations and inclusion! Just one little thing: I think there is a little mispelling at the end of the book, on the page “Kindness checklist”. On the bonus part, it says “On a seperare piece of paper…”. I suppose the author intended to say “separate”. Anyway, great work to both the author and the illustrator!

This is a cute story written in verse about the first day of school. Featuring a Black boy and his father, he recites what he needs to be successful on his first day of school. Cute story, but nothing very original or memorable.