Chu's Day at the Beach

Neil Gaiman and Adam Rex join forces for the third installment in this series about Chu the panda.

Big things happen when little Chu sneezes. When his family visits the beach, the peculiar force of his sneeze causes all sorts of problems for beachgoers. Can Chu find a way to undo the mess he’s made?

I’d have to give adorable factor of this book a 10 out of 10. The artwork is exceptional, with vibrant colors, high detail, and a pleasantly hand-brushed style. Word density varies widely from page to page, avoiding any visual monotony. The story passively explores several possible causes for sneezing whilst depicting a physics-defying scenario that older children will quickly recognize as “weird” or “silly.”

It’s a cute story, to be sure. But parents hoping to convey a moral or lesson may be a bit disappointed. There’s plenty of imagination to be had (i.e. merpandas!), but not much by way of profound or educational conclusions.

This hardback book is 30 pages in length and is suitable for ages 4-8.