FICTION

Chooky-Doodle-Doo

by Jan WHITEN

illus. by Sinéad Hanley. 32p. Candlewick. 2015. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9780763673277. LC 2013957309.

COPY ISBN

PreS—"One little chooky chick/pulling at a worm./Clucky cluck, worm's stuck./What should chooky do?" The cute rhyming text of this cumulative counting book from Australia is paired with exuberant illustrations, where digitized patterns and textures supplement a woodblock print effect. Googly-eyed red, green, and yellow chicks line up, tugging at the stubborn worm. At last, five chicks and a rooster succeed in pulling out a buried shoe by its lace, while an actual worm watches gleefully.

VERDICT This funny, early counting book is a good choice for general purchase.

Reviewed by Rachel Anne Mencke, St. Matthew's Parish School, Pacific Palisades, CA

Readers count along with some chicks as, one by one, they band together to pull a particularly tough worm from the ground. They prevail with the help of a rooster and discover their mysterious worm is actually a shoelace. Rhyming text and repetition are perfect for read-aloud audiences. Collage illustrations use patterns such as polka dots and stripes to provide visual interest and energy.

, May 01, 2015

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