Rain School

October 1, 2010

It takes a village to make a school. In Chad, big brothers and sisters lead the way for younger children on the first day of school. Little Thomas is full of questions. When he and the other children arrive, there are no classrooms and no desks. But the teacher's there, holding a trowel. "We will build our school," she declares. Everyone sets to work, making mud bricks that dry in the sun and a roof out of grass and saplings. Thomas loves his lessons; every day he learns something new. At the end of the school year, the minds of the students "are fat with knowledge." And just in time: The rainy season arrives and makes short work of the schoolhouse. Come September, they'll start all over. Rumford's illustrations make great use of color, dark brown skin and bright shirts, shorts and dresses against golden backgrounds, the hues applied in smudgy layers that infuse each scene with warmth—until the gray rains arrive. It's a nifty social-studies lesson tucked into a warm tale of community. (Picture book. 4-7)

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October 1, 2010

K-Gr 3-"In the country of Chad, it is the first day of school. The dry dirt road is filling up with children. Big brothers and sisters are leading the way." Thomas and the other younger children follow behind their older siblings, bombarding them with eager questions. "Will they give us a notebook? Will they give us a pencil? Will I learn to read like you?" When the children arrive at the schoolyard, they find only their teacher. Working under her direction, they build a school, using a wood frame, a few bricks, and a thatch roof and walls. With that completed, they have their classes. Nine months go by and rain clouds begin to gather. School is over until next year. Along with the rain comes the wind, and over time, the building disappears-washed away. Come September, the process will begin again. The final illustration features a smiling confident Thomas at the forefront, with eager, younger children following behind. The yellow, brown, and burnt orange shades dominate each of the spreads, both as background color and as part the dry, sandy, and hot landscape. The message of the story is clear-while the school structure may be temporary, education is permanent. This book also gives young children a glimpse into the school life of children in another part of the world.-Mary N. Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2010
Preschool-G *Starred Review* Like Vanita Oelschlagers Bonyo Bonyo (2010), this stirring picture book tells the story of a child in rural Africa who struggles to get to school. In a village in Chad, Thomas cant wait to start school, and he is thrilled when he follows the older students down a dirt road on their first day of class. But when the children get to the schoolyard, there are no classrooms or desks, not even a roof. We will build our school, says their teacher, and with her instruction, Thomas first lessons are in making mud bricks and building walls, desks, and a thatched roof. At last, the class work begins, and Thomas learns something new and exciting every day of the school years nine months. Then the heavy rains come, and the storms gradually wash the school away. While serving as a Peace Corps volunteer, Rumford was a teacher in Chad, and the authentic details illuminate the spare text and beautiful artwork. On double-page spreads, the colored-pencil, ink, and pastel images echo the words elemental rhythms as they contrast golden-hued portraits of the children happily learning with dark, rain-drenched scenes of the school disappearing. The building eventually vanishes, but it doesnt matter. The letters have been learned and taken away by the children. And come September, the students will build their school again. On the last page, Thomas points to his country on a map of the continent. Without a heavy message, this spare and moving offering will leave kids thinking about the daily lives of other young people around the world.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)