Chu's First Day of School
Chu (first introduced in Chu’s Day, 2013) is a little panda with a big sneeze. When the time comes to go to school, Chu is nervous. The teacher is nice, and the other animals are friendly, but what will they make of his sneeze? As the rest of the class introduces themselves and shares their individual skills and talents, Chu is silent—until a cloud of chalk dust sets him off. His “AAaachooooooooo!” blows the roof of the schoolhouse right off. But the class takes the sinus explosion in stride, and Chu relaxes; things are going to be fine. Gaiman keeps Chu’s “talent” a secret, building tension leading up to the sneeze, and when it comes, Rex handles the big moment wordlessly. A pair of almost identical spreads show the tumbled, upside-down classroom, but while the first spread shows the other animals in stunned, post-sneeze silence, the second shows them erupting in enthusiastic support. Children apprehensive about how their own individualities will be met at school will find raucous, joyful comfort.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Chu’s first outing became a New York Times best-seller, and his fans (and newcomers) will be lining up for this sequel. Preschool-Grade 2. --Thom Barthelmess