Chi-Chi and Pey-Pey School day drama School day drama /

K-Gr 2--The universal experience of the first day of school can stir up different responses in kids. Where many texts follow the experience of one child, this title offers a unique perspective on how two different "kids" (in this case a penguin and a chicken) experience this yearly hurdle. Chi-Chi, a chicken, loves cheese puffs and dancing, but she is worried about what the first day of school will bring. Pey-Pey, a penguin, favors the world of pirates and popsicles, and he views the first day with ease and confidence. When the two characters find themselves paired up and searching for something they both like that they can share with the class, they initially think they have nothing in common. Ms. Possum gives them a chance to find a compromise. The characters are at the forefront throughout, with bold colors and simplified expressions. Every spread has no more than four panels and is focused on building the character while backgrounds become secondary. Visually this is a very successful format for primary grades, with an effective introduction that has the characters explain how to recognize speech and thought bubbles in addition to directions on how to read a graphic novel. The characters are relatable, albeit gender stereotyped. While the theme of going back to school is common, how Chi-Chi and Pey-Pey's friendship is ultimately built allows for each of them to shine. VERDICT A solid choice for libraries that circulate graphic novels to younger readers, but may get lost among more unique early graphic novels characters.--Danielle Schwessinger

A comics primer dressed up in an odd-couple school story for new readers. Before the story starts, Chi Chi the chicken and Pey Pey the penguin break the fourth wall to orient new readers to comics basics. They explain that some speech balloons have a "pointy end" to indicate spoken language, while others show thoughts as a "bubbly cloud with little circles pointing to them." They also introduce the term panel and instruct children to "read the panels from left to right…and top to bottom." Subsequent pages follow Chi Chi and Pey Pey as they separately anticipate the start of school and then attend their first day together. Their words and thoughts effectively guide readers through the scenes as cute, appealing cartoon illustrations provide visual cues to assist decoding. It's immediately clear that the birds are opposites, with Chi Chi feeling anxious about school while Pey Pey isn't a bit worried. Once in their classroom, the teacher, Mrs. Possum (who confusingly looks like a rabbit), pairs them as class buddies. "Find something you and your buddy both like. We will share it with the class," she says. The titular drama ensues since Chi Chi and Pey Pey seemingly have nothing in common, but Mrs. Possum encourages them to overcome their differences, and they do so in an unexpected, playful way. An early reader to befriend. (Early reader. 4-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.