Third Time's The...Charm?

In ancient times it is written a sneeze was viewed as a good omen; believing, as they come unbidden, the gods must have caused it.  If a sneeze was heard when one was speaking then it must be the truth or if a new venture was being undertaken it would be successful.  Even though there is no definitive reason, the act of blessing someone who has sneezed dates back to the time of the Caesars.

It seems certain superstitions are attached to sneezing depending on the culture from which they come. Certain Asian cultures believe one is being talked about if they sneeze; even the number of sneezes have meaning.  All these notions pale in comparison to the unexpected (at least from the reader's view) potential of a sneeze happening on Chu's Day (Harper) written by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Adam Rex.


When Chu sneezed, bad things happened.

Chu, a little panda guy, begins his day with a trip to the library with his mother.  Everyone knows about the dust which loves to live in books.  Will this be the moment a sneeze pops out?

Midday he meanders into the diner with his father for a bite to eat.  People enjoying their lunch tend to spice up their meals with a bit (or more) of pepper.  Will this be the moment a sneeze pops out?

What a surprise!  Chu and his parents are going to the circus.  He tries to get their attention.  He really has to speak with them.

His final sentence is uttered with nary a soul hearing.  Then the bad thing happens because Chu sneezes.  He's truly sorry but what's a little panda guy to do.


Neil Gaiman has a masterful command of language and pacing.  Up until the circus when Chu wants his parents to listen to him, a single sentence suffices to tell the reader precisely what they need to know, not a syllable more.  (Although, a careful reader will wonder why his parents question whether he is going to sneeze.  Do they know something?) With the addition of more sentences, tension builds like blowing up a balloon until it pops.  When Chu speaks again, one word conveys complete comic relief to the point readers will be unable to restrain their laughter.  Again on the last page Gaiman uses one word, a word to close the day, the story and, in Chu's mind, his sneezing mishap.  All is right in Chu's world.


True to form, when I held Chu's Day in my hands for the first time, I opened up the jacket and cover; mirror images of each other.  Chu's attire, the green striped shirt and the pilot's helmet with goggles, coupled with his expression, immediately sets the stage for events to come.  On the back cover we see...the back of Chu with a snail behind him facing toward the reader.

Adam Rex surrounds most of his illustrations with white space with the exception of the colorful, bright scenes in the library, the diner, the circus, and the sneeze.  This contrast brings the reader right into those paintings looking over the intricate details.  I could happily frame the library scene to hang in my home; the mice on computers inside the card catalog drawers, the animal caricature for the national library symbol.

The features on the characters are lively and comic, especially the parents.  Even now, I'm unable to keep from laughing looking at the library and diner visuals during the sneeze and the circus after it has passed.  Looking for the snail throughout provides added interest and fun.


If you're looking for a lively story about a panda with a preposterous problem, then Chu's Day written by Neil Gaiman with illustrations by Adam Rex is exactly the book for you and your readers.  The pairing of the spare text with the expressive, full-of-life, illustrations is guaranteed to bring on an abundance of gleeful giggles.

Here is a link to a wonderful interview of Adam Rex on the Bookie Woogie blog several years ago.  The link embedded in his name is to his website.  UPDATE:  Since the release of this blog post, Adam Rex wrote a wonderful post, How I Make a Picture Book,  describing his process for this title.

Here is a link to a poster celebrating Chu's Day.  A four page activity guide for Chu's Day is linked here.  At this page you can see inside some of the pages in Chu's Day.

Embedded in Neil Gaiman's name above is the link to his website for children.  This link is to his blog post about Chu's Day.  At this site Neil Gaiman reads Chu's Day aloud nearly in its entirety.

Here is the book trailer for Chu's Day.


And finally I could not resist sharing this short clip of a baby panda sneezing.

Protecting Precious Pandas

On September 25, 2012 a 20th anniversary full color edition of Magic Tree House #1, Dinosaurs Before Dark, will be released.  It's hard to believe this book was first placed on shelves in July of 1992.  To date forty-eight fiction books are part of the series.  Twelve years ago a companion series, Magic Tree House Fact Tracker, began, extending the fictional adventures of Jack and Annie with current up-to-date information about a topic covered in the fiction books.  Twenty-six nonfiction books are part of that series at this time.






Last week the forty-eighth book in the Magic Tree House series, A Perfect Time for Pandas (Random House), written by Mary Pope Osborne with illustrations by Sal Murdocca had its book birthday. At the same time the Magic Tree House Fact Tracker, Pandas and other Endangered Species (Random House) written by Mary Pope Osborne and Natalie Pope Boyce with illustrations by Sal Murdocca could be found on shelves.  Readers will be glad to know the escapades of the brother and sister are as action packed as ever.

Followers of the series have come to expect the siblings to make their way to the tree house in the woods of Frog Creek, Pennsylvania.  In this title, Jack and Annie are in search of the fourth and final item needed to help friends, Teddy and Kathleen (living in Camelot) fashion a spell, bringing Merlin's beloved penguin back to life.  A clue has been left in the tree house directing them to their next destination, China, along with a potion to increase one's size five times for one hour.

A healthy food, grainy and good,
baked with love, tough as wood,
round in shape, the color of sand,
given to those who have lost their land.

So with a spin, faster and faster, followed by the stillest stillness, the siblings find themselves in Wolong Town on May 12, 2008.  When reading the guide book, Annie is thrilled to hear Jack say this area contains the Wolong National Nature Reserve, home to giant pandas.  For her its a dream come true, for Jack its a distraction from their mission.

Against his better instincts, Jack agrees to rent bikes and ride up the mountain to the Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.  Despite the fact they need to fabricate a story to get in, their day is filled with the memorable meeting of an eight- year-old adult panda and a crew of baby pandas at play.  What Jack and Annie can not know is this day of discovery and delight is about to take a turn into terror.

On May 12, 2008 a 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the region and our duo is on their way down the mountainside when it strikes.  Trapped halfway between Wolong Town and the Research Center they are torn as to their course of action.  But clearly a decision needs to be made as rocks the size of cars continue to fall and mudslides are a distinct problem as the rains begin.

Jack and Annie have learned from past experiences that mission impossible becomes probable when placing others first.  Edge-of-your seat suspense fills the pages as their survival, other characters, the pandas...and a very special penguin are in question.  Will the time travelers prevail?

Through the adventures of Jack and Annie, Mary Pope Osborne takes readers to places and times for which they may or may not be familiar.  Perhaps, as in the case of this title, they may have remembered a small bit of history or news but when they step inside the tree house with the time-traveling brother and sister, it becomes more personal, as if they are there too, living their experiences.  The dialogue between Jack and Annie, even when they're not in agreement, exemplifies brainstorming, compromise and a form of team spirit.

Osborne welcomes readers to this adventure with Jack and Annie through pacing and detail.  But she also stimulates thinking by adding information about the setting, the events and the outcomes; even an ancient legend.  Here are a couple of passages from this title.

"Okay, okay. But we have to stick to our mission," Jack said.
"We have lots of time to find that special food," said Annie. "Wolong has other restaurants.  It can't be that hard to find a weird food.  Hey! I have a good idea!" She gave the guide book back to Jack, then started off. "Come with me!"
"Wait, stop Where are we going?" Jack said.
"We passed a bicycle shop earlier," Annie called over her shoulder.  "I'll bet they rent bikes!"
"What? Are you crazy?" Jack put their book away and walked after her. "Where is this panda center"? he called. 

Jack felt as if he were falling through time.  For a moment, the panda wasn't eight years old.  She was three million years old.  She was filled with wisdom.  She knew things he could never understand.  He didn't know what to write---words couldn't possibly capture the wonder of her.

The Magic Tree House Fact Tracker Pandas and Other Endangered Species is absolutely loaded with information beginning with an overview of pandas as well as other species that are endangered.  The causes of threats to species are carefully outlined in a conversational tone using appropriate vocabulary for the intended audience.  Along the sides of the paragraphs are portraits of Jack and Annie offering up little tidbits of facts.

 In the following two chapters more in depth coverage is supplied about the giant panda.  Chapter four focuses on other specific creatures in trouble.  This is followed by highlighting the careers of Jane Goodall and George Schaller.  The book concludes with a thorough list of sources to use in further research including an index to the book.

A series will not endure unless readers can identify with and enjoy the life of the characters.  A Perfect Time for Pandas, written by Mary Pope Osborne with illustrations by Sal Murdocca (I believe he has illustrated every one.), is a stellar example of what makes a series lasting to a legion of readers over decades.  The additional title Pandas and Other Endangered Species, written by Mary Pope Osborne with her sister, Natalie Pope Boyce illustrated by Sal Murdocca, is a worthy companion and then some.  I truly enjoyed reading both of these; captivated by the insights gained from following Jack's  and Annie's latest blast to the past and from the wealth of pertinent facts in the other title.

Don't forget to visit the Magic Tree House website linked above.  You could lose track of time when visiting.

Here are some links to good panda websites, a couple recommended by the nonfiction title.
San Diego Zoo

Smithsonian National Zoological Park

Pandas International

USGS Earthquake site


I know I have posted this previously in a Twitterville update but here is Mary Pope Osborne speaking about the 20th anniversary of this outstanding series.