Rain School

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