Tanka Tanka Skunk! [Hardcover]

Steve Webb (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Rhyming has never been so much fun as in Steve Webb's bold, new picture book, which encourages children to read aloud, following the easy and catchy rhythm of the text.

"Skunka Tanka
Skunka Tanka
Tanka Tanka Skunk!
They've got the beat, and so do their friends."

"Meet Tanka and his friend, Skunk. When you say their names together, they sound like drums!"

Steve Webb's innovative and visually stunning picture book introduces young readers to simple rhythms with this riot of shout-out-loud words and cavorting animals. TANKA TANKA SKUNK! makes reading tons of fun as the text and the illustrations leap and dance across the pages.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–Simply by using the syllables in animal names, Webb creates an enjoyable and musical picture book. Tanka the elephant and his friend Skunk beat out a cadence on their drums, "Skunka Tanka/Skunka Tanka/Tanka/Tanka/Skunk." This verse serves as a refrain as they meet other creatures and say their names: "And this is caterpillar./His name has four beats./Cat-er-pil-lar"). Although the story is without a plot, its celebration of sound brings to mind the off-Broadway show STOMP, which capitalizes on unconventional ways that music and rhythm resonate in our lives. Brightly colored background squares show off the heavy black outlines of the cartoon animals. Various sizes and shapes of font draw emphasis to the accents and patterns of the words. Storytime audiences will revel in the beat when this book is used as a filler between longer plot-driven stories or as a culminating activity after marching around the room as a band.–Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Inside Flap

Simple rhythmic patterns in a riot of shout-out-loud words and cavorting animals.

Meet Tanka the elephant and his friend Skunka. Say their names together and they sound like drums. Tanka, Skunka, Tanka, Skunka, Tanka Tanka Skunk! They have lots of friends -- lemurs, llamas, zebras, big GORILLAS and yakety, yakety yaks. It?s a roller-coaster ride of sights and sounds and terrific fun to read aloud. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Orchard (June 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439578442
• ISBN-13: 978-0439578448
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,133 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!! Great for toddlers., January 5, 2006

By 

Elisabeth "mommyx2" (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tanka Tanka Skunk! (Hardcover)

My 2 and 3 year old love this book. They both pound out the rhythm as we read it and they get very excited about reading it faster and faster and trying to keep up with the rhythm. Not a great bed time story since it tends to get them riled up instead of calmed down. It's one of the few books in their collecton that I don't get bored reading over and over again. Like another reviewer I kept checking this out at the library and finally decided to buy it. The illustrations are large and easy to see and have helped my kids learn the names of different animals.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tanka Tanka Skunk, Awesome!!!, October 2, 2004

By 

A. Heavner "alley cat" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tanka Tanka Skunk! (Hardcover)

A skunk named Skunk and an elephant named Tanka love rhythm and rhyme. Skunk and Tanka like to meet different animals like alligator and polar bear. They always make a rhythm with the animals' names by dividing the syllables into beats. Skunk and Tanka also make rhymes out of the animal names. The book is an amazing way to teach syllables. Webb uses rhyme as well as rhythm to emphasize the syllables in the names of animals most children know. The illustrations only add to the magic. The animals are cartoon structure with vibrant colors that catch the audience's eyes. It brings excitement and learning together as one. The classroom becomes full of educated musicians.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Animals and rhythm, October 1, 2004

By 

tappinlisa (Montebello, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tanka Tanka Skunk! (Hardcover)

I borrowed this book from the library for my 4 year old son to look at, and it was a success! He can read individual words, but sentences and paragraphs tend to overwhelm him. The animal names (with accompanying illustrations) in large print and arranged in a catchy rhythm had him reading the book to himself. Not great literature, but a fun read.