Customer Reviews

Clickety Clack (Picture Puffins)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We stumbled upon this book at the California Train Museum in Sacramento about 5 months ago and have been completely entralled with this masterpiece ever since. Not only are the illustrations vibrant and entertaining, the text offers a very special attribute: the rhyme actually has a train rhythm. Pulling out of the station the train clicks along at a slow pace, "The little black train goes down the track. Clickety clack, clickety clack." As the text tells who is on the train (yaks, acrobats, ducks, elephants...) and what they are doing (talking, singing, quacking, stomping...) it builds to a frantic speed until "two mice light fireworks" and give Driver Zach a "headache attack." At that point the "rhythm" of the "train" begins to slow as the passengers calm down and behave themselves and the train settles into an even-paced canter and leaves Driver Zach with a smile on his face. My then pre-2 year old had this book memorized within the first week and still asks for it daily. Another thing we found fun is to read it while whispering -- the rhythm is accentuated when you whisper and my son thinks it is especially funny. I cannot give this book more than 5 stars, unfortunately, but think that one that includes great artwork, catchy rhyming text, and incorporates a train rhythm to boot should be at the top of any train and/or rhythm and rhyme lover's book list.

My little girl absolutely loves this book. No matter what else may be going on, when asked if she'd like to read a story, she will jump up and start yelling for "Clickety Clack". She love this story so much and the dialog is so easy to understand that she has the book memorized, pretty much word for word. This is a great book, the words work so well with one another and the variety of characters so diverse, there are yacks, ducks, acrobats and mice all of whom manage to drive driver Zack pretty crazy!

I hate to go against most of the other reviews but I wasn't all that excited by this one. My daughters who like trains weren't either.

The illustrations were warm and fun and the rhyming was well done. I guess I really didn't like the story line. It was a bit of a downer. Everyone is having fun on the train and the engineer says he's got a headache and unless everyone is quiet, he'll turn the train around. So by the end the engineer is happy but everyone else looks kind of sad.

As a teacher of 2 year olds, I can strongly recommend this book! This was by far their favorite book. They started reciting the "Clickety, Clack" line, and soon had the entire book memorized. My own 2 year old would recite the book at the grocery store. It is so catchy and a lot of fun!

I was hoping for something to placate the train lust of my two year old. This is really about the hubbub ON a train. But it doesn't really capture my little train freak's attention.

My daughter loves this book. I read it to her every night, and at least three times a day. The sound of the "clickety clack," and the other rhyming schemes work very well.

Puffin REALLY needs to reprint this book. Make sure that you get the Picture Puffins version of the book rather than the Scholastic version. Puffin prints on glossier paper so the color illustrations really pop from the page. I was really, really disappointed with the Scholastic version. The cadence of the book is that of a train going faster and faster and then slower and slower. It is truly amazing. As you read, you find yourself reading faster and it sounds like the cadence of a train. Once you reach the climax of the story, where Driver Zach yells for everyone to quiet down, the cadence of the story gets slower and slower. I would purchase this book for every child I know.

We recently checked this book out from the local library, my daughter loved it so much I HAD to buy it. She will read it to us, our cat, our dog, or visitting friends, easy to follow and fun to have around.

The pictures are darling, but it's the rhythm of the words that pulls you in. By the end of the book, you can whisper the clickety clacks and it sounds like train wheels.

Very engaging book. I like it, the big brother likes it, and the little brother goes crazy for it. They recite it in the car. We also play around with the book to find other short-vowel "a" words in the pictures -- hat, platform, cat, bag, giraffe, trash can (all on the cover).

The illustrations are terrific. They are very clear and full of humor.

Length:: 0:43 Mins

Cullen [....] reviews this book and gives you ideas on how to use to use it interactively with your child. For you I have more video book reviews, free children videos and free activity idea videos at [...]. If you have a children's book you would like me to review and offer ideas on how to use it interactively with children please send an email to [...]. Also, feel free to to add me, Cullen Wood, as a Facebook friend.