Chuck's Band

PreS-Gr 1—Chuck lives on a farm, and on one of his trips to town, he purchases a banjo, inspiring the farm animals to create a band. Flo the goat joins with a mandolin, Nip and Tuck the dogs play the guitar and the harmonica, Lou the cow joins with the washtub, and Sue the pig plays the violin. What a joyous sound they all make, having fun with a "cluck, hum, pluck." Only one friend is left out; Fat Cat Pat does not want to play. So Chuck takes her to town, where he discovers the perfect "instrument" to accompany the band during Fat Cat Pat's kitty nap. Anderson delivers the story via short sentences, simple concepts, and basic language. The rhyming prose flows naturally, like a song, producing a pleasing balance between words and their onomatopoeia counterpart. Beginning readers will have fun with the humorous setting and laugh at the surprising end. The lively primary colors and crayon-based illustrations add delightful details not present in the text.