Customer Reviews

Chicken Said, "Cluck!" (My First I Can Read)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

REVIEWED BY: Wayne Walker

Earl and Pearl are planning to grow pumpkins. They dig the garden, plant the seeds, water them, and pull the weeds. All during this time, Chicken scratches the dirt in the pumpkin patch. Earl and Pearl say, "Shoo," and Chicken says, "Cluck." However, one day the grasshoppers come and begin to nibble on the pumpkins. What will Earl and Pearl do? Is there anything Chicken can do?

My wife and I have homeschooled our two sons, so we were completely responsible for their early reading material. After putting them through a solid phonics program, we were always looking for interesting and fun books for them to read, and we used quite a few of the "I Can Read!" books from Harper Collins Publishers. The "My First Reading" level of these books are ideal for sharing with emergent readers, and we found them to be very helpful. There is nothing like the accomplishment of being able to read an entire book for stimulating confidence.

So whether you are homeschooling your children or just want to give your beginning reader some additional reading skill-building tools, Chicken Said, "Cluck" is an excellent choice. The humorous, poetic text will appeal to young children, and I highly recommend it.

We homeschool and own a ton of children's books. After reading this one at a family member's home we bought it here with the great 4 for 3 book deal. We've gotten dozens of I can read books this way. It's a simply story using simple words but it is cute and funny so therefore is a book kids really want to read. I can't give it five stars because of the binding. We've been receiving more and more I can read books with a wavy binding. It would be wasteful to send it back and ask for a new copy so we keep them but it makes the book lose a star.

This is just a sweet and simple & yes, even repetitive little reader, in one respect. However, because the illustrations are by the great Sue Truesdell, the book has lovely layers of wisdom and warmth to it. Pay close attention to the expressions and gestures of the 'plucky' (sorry!) little optimist of a chicken. Illustrating nirvana! All of the books Sue Truesdell collaborates on reach a much deeper and more enjoyable level, by virtue of her gifts. Check out "Donna O'Neeshuck was Chased by Some Cows" and "Circus Family Dog". She is a master!

Earl and Pearl were planning their summer gardens. Earl thought he would grow one pumpkin and not to be outdone, Pearl said "I will grow two pumpkins." Earl had his shovel and his seed packet in hand and off they went to the garden. They had someone following them and they didn't appreciate the company. It was Chicken and he was scratching the dirt. "Shoo!" said Earl. "Shoo! Shoo!" said Pearl. "Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!" That darn chicken was just a pain and wouldn't go away!

They watered their garden, weeded and tended it carefully, but there was Chicken scratching the dirt. "Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!" They tried to shoo it away, but no luck. Throughout the summer the pumpkins grew and that Chicken just kept up his antics and the more they told him to shoo, the more he scratched the dirt and clucked. "Then one day the grasshoppers came" and threatened their pumpkin crop. Grasshoppers can be very destructive to plants. Hmmmm, there was chicken scratching the dirt while they were trying to shoo the grasshoppers. Do you think there was something that Chicken could do to save the pumpkins?

This book, for a first effort, is amazingly good and fun! I loved the humor in the story and even the art work will bring a few smiles to your face, especially the drawing of the bug-eyed Chicken. This book is an emergent reader (for sharing with an adult) from the "I Can Read!" series and also a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. This would be a fun, exciting and humorous book to read during circle time, especially if you have lots of little chickens in your room who can shout, "Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!"