This Is a School

Schu's debut picture book salutes the school community and the positive role it plays in kids' lives. . . Jamison's watercolor, acrylic, and digital-collage illustrations employ a sunny palette, well suited to the text's upbeat tone. . . . Schu emphasizes the school as a community, where growth, celebrations, transformations, and work all occur, providing a reassuring introduction to this near-universal experience.

Librarian and book advocate Schu invites readers into a school community in which all voices are heard, each person learns, and everyone—and everything, including the plants in the school garden—grows. . . . This introduction to school communities shows children what happens inside a classroom via a vision of school at its best—one that leaves readers with a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Well suited for both independent reading as well as a read aloud. . . . Full spread illustrations showing the whole community mix with smaller, more intimate portrayals of kids and adults hard at work, providing strong movement throughout the story. This is a solid choice for classrooms and libraries looking for updated beginning of the year or school stories.

A soaring panegyric to elementary school as a communal place to learn and grow. . . the central message here is that school is a physical space, not a virtual one, where learning and community happen. . . . A full-hearted valentine.

This book is so beautiful! I can see the love, joy, inclusion, and empathy on every single page. What a gift this is for kids, educators, and families.

This upbeat, book-length definition of ‘school’ emphasizes big ideas. The spare, syncopated text describes 'school' as a place to grow, learn, create, celebrate, transform and work in community. It’s the cheery art that makes the abstract concrete. . . . Enthusiasm is lightly tempered with honesty. . . . The pandemic is not yet out of sight or mind, but the overall message is clear: School is cool.