Sonderbooks     BookReviews by Sondra Eklund

Buy from Amazon.com

Rate this Book

Sonderbooks 52
    PreviousBook


Nonfiction
Fiction
Young Adult Fiction
Children's Nonfiction
Children's Fiction
Picture Books
    Special Read-Alouds
        PreviousBook
        NextBook


2004 Stand-outs
2003 Stand-outs
    Previous Book
    Next Book

2002 Stand-outs
2001 Stand-outs

Five-Star Books
    Previous Book
    Next Book

Four-Star Books
Old Favorites
Back Issues
List of Reviews by Title
List of Reviews by Author

Links For Book Lovers
Book Discussion Forum

About Me
Contact Me
Subscribe

I don't review books I don't like!

*****= An all-time favorite
****  = Outstanding
***    = Above average
**      = Enjoyable
*        = Good, with reservations

cover

*****Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault

illustrated by Lois Ehlert

Reviewed April 21, 2003.
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York, 1989.  32pages.
Available at Sembach Library  (E MAR).
A Sonderbooks’ Stand-out of 2003: #1, Old Favorite Picture Books

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom has been a family favorite at ourhouse for approximately the 14 years it has been in print.  Here’sa jazzy alphabet book like no other.

Instead of the same old words beginning with letters, in this book theletters are the characters.  “A told B, and B told C, ‘I’ll meetyou at the top of the coconut tree,’”  The small letters climb thecoconut tree, fall down, and then are helped up by their parents, thecapital letters.

Okay, told like that, the book sounds silly.  Told by the authorsof this book, the story is a delight.  Small children loverecognizing the letters and will quickly learn the words to read alongwith you.  I guarantee that parents won’t get tired of readingthis book, even on the hundredth time.  (Well, your voice mightget tired!)

When my son was in preschool, we discovered a tape version withRay Charles reading the book, giving it the jazz beat it was writtenfor.  I’ve made the Amazon link on my webpage link to a book andcassette set that includes that wonderful tape, with a littleadditionalalphabet fun.

Sembach Library finally got a copy of this book, and it has alreadybeen a hit at one story time.  This is the perfect book for 3- to5-year-olds and their lucky parents.

Review of another book by Lois Ehlert:
The Scraps Book: Notes from a Colorful Life


Copyright © 2003 Sondra Eklund.  All rights reserved.

-top of page-