ALA Booklist

Chu (first introduced in Chu's Day, 2013) is a little panda with a big sneeze. When the time comes to go to school, Chu is nervous. The teacher is nice, and the other animals are friendly, but what will they make of his sneeze? As the rest of the class introduces themselves and shares their individual skills and talents, Chu is silent til a cloud of chalk dust sets him off. His "AAaachooooooooo!" blows the roof of the schoolhouse right off. But the class takes the sinus explosion in stride, and Chu relaxes; things are going to be fine. Gaiman keeps Chu's "talent" a secret, building tension leading up to the sneeze, and when it comes, Rex handles the big moment wordlessly. A pair of almost identical spreads show the tumbled, upside-down classroom, but while the first spread shows the other animals in stunned, post-sneeze silence, the second shows them erupting in enthusiastic support. Children apprehensive about how their own individualities will be met at school will find raucous, joyful comfort.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Chu's first outing became a New York Times best-seller, and his fans (and newcomers) will be lining up for this sequel.

Horn Book

It's Chu's first day of school, and he's nervous about meeting his classmates. The teacher asks the children to introduce themselves and say one thing they each love to do. Chu is shy at first, but when his turn comes around, he just can't contain one of his signature giant panda sneezes. Chu's reticence is relatable; Rex skillfully plays with facial expressions in his art.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

In his second outing, Chu the sneeze-prone panda is anxious that his classmates won-t like him. At school, the students take turns introducing themselves and what they love to do (-My name is Pablo. I love to climb up things,- says a tamarin). -There was a lot of chalk dust in the air,- writes Gaiman ominously, and Chu soon shows off his singular talent with a sneeze that blows the roof off the school and sends everyone flying (-That-s what I do,- he says). Gaiman and Rex expertly blend humor and tension to delicious narrative effect. Ages 4-8. Author-s agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House. Illustrator-s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (July)

School Library Journal (Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Baby/Toddler Chu, a little panda with a disproportionately big sneeze, is all set for his first day of school. Like most kids, he's more than a little nervous, especially when the other kids seem to have talents and interests that make them shine. But Chu quickly realizes he's just as special. Rex's quaint, old-fashioned-type paintings place exotic animals into sweetly domestic settings, adding a slight irony and pairing well with Gaiman's spare but fun text.