Pants for Chuck

PreS-Gr 1—In this hilarious book, a sassy woodchuck experiences the pitfalls of trying on pants that are too tight. Big Chuck's friends—a raccoon, a rabbit, a squirrel, and some mice—want him to play, run, and climb around the farm with them, but when he tries to squeeze into some blue pants that originally belonged to a doll, he finds that he can't join the fun because the pants are too small. The mice try to lend a helping hand (and Rabbit appears to disapprove as Chuck admires himself in the mirror), but everyone ducks for cover as the button eventually pops off, ripping the pants. Chuck realizes he'd rather play with his friends than wear the pants, which are then returned to the doll. The short, simple sentences in a large, clear font are ideal for emergent readers. The soft watercolor illustrations provide context clues to advance the story, and ample white space allows readers to focus on the words and action. The whimsical yet dynamic styling of the familiar farm animals and the silly premise and turn of events make this a fun choice for independent or shared reading.—Whitney LeBlanc, Staten Island Academy, NY