Clip-Clop [Board book]

Nicola Smee (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this familiar tale, what Mr. Horse deems near disaster is just what his riders always wanted. When he asks, "Who wants a ride?" Mr. Horse has many takers among the barnyard's denizens—Cat, Dog, Pig and Duck; "clip-clop, clippity-clop" acts as the tale's refrain. Much like a parent eager to satisfy his children's wishes, Mr. Horse agrees to their requests with some safety tips. "Up you get," he repeatedly responds, then "hold on tight!" when the child-like passengers beg him to go faster. Smee's bold black outline and watercolor wash portray the friendly characters against a vast white space, with Dog's wagging tail and the hero's hooves suggesting movement. But once Mr. Horse quickens his pace, the spreads mirror the intensity; the typeface increases in size, as does the image of the steed (with animals atop his back) galloping across the pages. When the four begin to lose their grip, Mr. Horse "skids to a halt!" and the riders tumble safely into a haystack. Though the horse's urgent cries of "Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dearie me!" echo those of a concerned caregiver, even youngest readers will appreciate the animals' exuberant chorus of "Again!" as they climb up for another ride. All ages. (Apr.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-K–This tale of an accommodating horse and his eager passengers elicits smiles from the get-go. Its cast of animals is a lot like a group of small children. When Cat gets a ride on Mr. Horse's back, Dog wants one, too. 'Up you get,' says Mr. Horse. Pig and Duck follow suit, and soon they're off and…hmm, 'Can you go a little faster, Mr. Horse?' ask Cat and Dog and Pig and Duck. As their friendly vehicle complies (clippity-clop), the riders look blissful and then (clippity-cloppity) uneasy as they desperately hang on. Whoa! Stop! We're falling off! Concerned for their safety, the horse comes to a screeching halt. Oops: the animals go flying through the air. Plop! Plop! Ploppity-plop! As his friends struggle out of the haystack in which they landed, the horse hears the last word he expected from them: Again! With its simplicity of plot and design, lovable characters, repetitive sound effects, and captivating color illustrations, this laugh-out-loud picture book is first-rate.–Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Board book: 26 pages
• Publisher: Boxer Books (August 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1905417608
• ISBN-13: 978-1905417605
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 6.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #727,878 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming for parents and kids alike, July 12, 2006

By 

debrajrj (South Dakota, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clip-Clop (Hardcover)

Friendly Mr. Horse offers rides to the other barnyard animals. One by one, cat, dog, pig and duck ask to be included, and then to go faster, FASTER!! They start to fall, Mr. Horse "skids to a halt"-- and over they fly, into a haystack. Mr. Horse is worried, but his friends are fine-- and want to go "AGAIN!"

From the familiar theme, to the simple but evocative art, to the demonstration of manners (many requests are accompanied by "please"-- frequently enough to reinforce the message), this book is wonderful. My 3 year old wants to hear it again and "AGAIN!" and loves to show me where each animal is going to be on the next page. I enjoy the art, and the suggestion of motion and emotion. This book is a big hit with us both!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting book for toddlers, January 1, 2007

By 

J. Dunwoody (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Clip-Clop (Hardcover)

My little niece loves it when characters in books fall down and then get up again. So this book is very exciting because the children go for an exciting ride, bounce in some straw, get up, and start again. The rhymes are very fun to read out loud!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What fun, January 9, 2007

By 

Diane M. Weiss "shopper" (shopper) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Clip-Clop (Hardcover)

My daughter just giggles everytime we read this to her. Great buy!