It is the first day of school in Chad, Africa. Children are filling the road. "Will they give us a notebook?" Thomas asks. "Will they give us a pencil?" "Will I learn to read?" But when he and the other children arrive at the school yard, they find no classroom, no desks. Just a teacher. "We will build our school," she says. "This is our first lesson." James Rumford, who lived in Chad as a Peace Corps volunteer, fills these pages with the vibrant colours of Africa and the spare words of a poet to show how important learning is in a country where only a few children are able to go to school.

 

This book is the winner of numerous awards. It was recognised in the Grades K-2 category by the Kentucky Blue Grass Award. It was recognised by the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award. It also was recognised in the Primary School category by the Volunteer State Book Award. It was recognised in the Picture Book category by the Parents' Choice Award.

This book is aimed at children in primary school.

There are 32 pages in this book. This is a picture book. A picture book uses pictures and text to tell the story. The number of words varies from zero ('wordless') to around 1k over 32 pages. Picture books are typically aimed at young readers (age 3-6) but can also be aimed at older children (7+). This book was published 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company .

Award-winning author and illustrator James Rumford taught school with his wife, Carol, in Chad. One day, in the middle of the rainy season, they came upon the mud ruins of the town's primary school. Many years later, the memory of that school and the desire of Chadians to get an education no matter the obstacles gave birth to Rain School.