{"id":41002,"date":"2022-07-01T22:22:46","date_gmt":"2022-07-02T03:22:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=41002"},"modified":"2022-07-01T22:22:46","modified_gmt":"2022-07-02T03:22:46","slug":"review-of-this-is-a-school-by-john-schu-illustrations-by-veronica-miller-jamison","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=41002","title":{"rendered":"Review of This Is a School, by John Schu, illustrations by Veronica Miller Jamison"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>This Is a School<\/em><\/p>\n

words by John Schu
\nillustrations by Veronica Miller Jamison<\/p>\n

Candlewick Press, 2022. 36 pages.
\nReview written April 20, 2022, from a library book
\nStarred Review<\/p>\n

A disclaimer here is that I know the author from his work with ALSC, the Association for Library Services to Children, when we were on a committee together. He’s been working with children and children’s books for a long time, and this book reflects that.<\/p>\n

This picture book is simple and lovely and reassuring. Here’s how it begins:<\/p>\n

This is a kid.<\/p>\n

This is a kid in a class. This is a class in a hall.<\/p>\n

This is a hall in a school —<\/p>\n

WELCOME!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It goes on with many things that happen in a school, with pictures of all kinds of kids interacting with others. There’s diversity in both ethnicity and abilities.<\/p>\n

I love this page:<\/p>\n

This is a community, growing.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The pages show kids celebrating, playing, learning, reading, performing, and more. <\/p>\n

There’s a spread with a little girl putting a fishbowl on top of library shelves. It slips and the fishbowl breaks, so they need to clean up and find a new home for the fish. That’s portrayed in pictures, and the text says:<\/p>\n

Some days we do the right thing . . . and some days we definitely don’t.<\/p>\n

We fail.
\nWe try.
\nWe learn.
\nWe trust.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The entire book would be wonderful to read to a new elementary school classroom as the year begins, picturing a group of people in community together.<\/p>\n

I do love the way the school library is featured. And in the summing up at the end, librarians are listed first.<\/p>\n

This is our class. This is our school:
\nlibrarians and coaches, helpers and staff,
\nprincipals and teachers, kids and friends.<\/p>\n

And we are all important.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s not a flashy book, but it conveys a truly important message.<\/p>\n

JohnSchu.com<\/a>
\nveronicajamisonart.com<\/a>
\ncandlewick.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Picture_Books\/this_is_a_school.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but the views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

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