Chu’s Day

“When Chu sneezed, bad things happened.” 

This would have been the perfect book for my story time on sneezes and sniffles…. but I didn’t have this book at the time.  I absolutely love the illustrations, by Adam Rex,  of the cute little panda bear with a HUGE sneeze.  The full-page spreads of the library,diner, and circus are all beautifully designed with a lot of really interesting animals present.  And the simplicity of Chu as he prepares to sneeze is a perfect set-up for when the actual sneeze comes.  Do bad things happen when Chu sneezes?  Yep, but the illustrations definitely make the result worth seeing. 

Neil Gaiman is known for his books Coraline and the Newbery Award winning The Graveyard Book.  Both of which are very unique, each in their own way and fill a space in children’s literature.  Chu’s Day is definitely a different type of book for Gaiman, focusing on a much younger audience, but still in line with his signature – something different enough to make you pause and think.  Who has ever heard of a baby panda with a sneeze that could make bad things happen?  But that’s exactly what happens in this story and even after the sneeze, Chu goes to bed, quickly ending the story and any speculation about what made him sneeze.  Gaiman and Rex work really well together in this book with the simple text and drawings that allow children to focus on the story and maybe even create their own.

Again, this would work so well with a story time crowd who can help make the sneeze noises, or as a one on one book for cuddling a sick child,  either way – definitely check out Chu’s Day.  Check out Neil Gaiman’s website and Adam Rex’s website for more of their work.

Title: Chu’s Day
Author: Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: Adam Rex
Publisher: Harper
Publication Date: 2012