Tick-Tock [Library Binding]

Eileen Browne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1999

A woodland tale with a surprise ending.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The author and illustrator of No Problem team up again for this frenetic, captivating story. Skip Squirrel's mother leaves the family treehouse with a firm warning: "No jumping on the chairs! Something might get broken." But Skip can't resist a few playful bounces on the seat-cushions when her gray squirrel friend, Brainy, comes to visit. As Skip flies through the air at precisely 1:15 p.m., she collides with her mother's cherished cuckoo clock and knocks it off the wall; she and Brainy have until mother squirrel's scheduled 4 p.m. return to fix it. Hefting the unwieldly timepiece, the squirrelly duo dashes to enlist the help of, variously, bicycle mechanic Weasel, shoemaker Hedgehog and gadget-repairer Owl. Parkins's expressive, manic illustrations are the main attractions here, lending high anxiety to Browne's rather familiar tale of a race against time and giving budding clock-watchers extra incentive to chart the progress of the hands of the pictured clocks. His goggle-eyed squirrels, drawn in staccato penstrokes, have a nervous energy befitting their breed, and each eventful spread is watercolored in subtle, foresty earth tones. Even the clock bears a carved likeness of a squirrel that registers goofy grins and frowns depending on the nonstop action. A winsome tale. Ages 3-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1-Skip Squirrel and her friend accidentally break Mom's prized cuckoo clock while she is out, and they frantically try to get it repaired before her return. At the bicycle shop, Weasel oils the clock's chain, and Hedgehog hammers on soles at the "Shoe Emporium." Finally, Owl manages to fix the clock just in time for the squirrels to scurry back home and hang it on the wall; Mom walks in and the cuckoo sings "Whooooo, Whooooo, Whooooo, Whooooo." The contrived story offers appealingly humorous ink-and-watercolor illustrations with lots of funny details, but they are not enough to carry this slight offering.
Caroline Parr, Central Rappahannock Regional Library, Fredericksburg, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Library Binding
• Publisher: Bt Bound (October 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0613001036
• ISBN-13: 978-0613001038
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,955,009 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A great kids read, well illustrated, funny, great sounds - overall EXCELLENT, December 29, 2005

By 

A. Woodley "Patroness, Janeites, the Austen list" (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tick-Tock (Paperback)

This book is really in a class of its own as far as kids books go, and I would go so far to rate it as an undiscovered classic. It is a really well-written, well-illustrated, funny book with a great subtext going on.

Firstly, the story is about Skip Squirrel and her friend Brainy who bounce on chairs, break a cuckoo clock and have to get it fixed. A simple story and well told. There is a good amount of repetition which the kids love (tick tock tickerty tockerty Clunk) for instance. Nice sounds, and expected.

It is beautifully illustrated so the kids really enjoy looking at the pages - they are full of detail - from the inside of the treehouse where skip lives to the various businesses where they take the clock to get fixed.

There is a bit of maths going on, some stuff you can do with time telling, lovely stuff about how to recognise what is a good place to take something (would you take a clock to a bike repair shop?) and finally I realised after a few reads that ALL the characters in this story are female. It is not obvious in the initial readings of it - but suddenly I realised that everyone was being referred to as Her or She. It is done subtely without fanfare, but it is a really nice touch for someone like me with two little girls.

We have had some great books to read but this has been a perennial favourite for a few years now especially now with my two year old. Others they enjoy at the moment are Imogene's Antlers, We're going on a Bear Hunt and He Bear She Bear (by the Berenstains) - just thought that might be useful for other parents with under 5 year girls looking for stuff their daughters might enjoy.

5.0 out of 5 stars Tick tock, broken clock!, May 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Tick-Tock (Library Binding)

This is a book that I don't mind reading over and over (I have a 22-month old, so believe me, this is important!). From fun text ("Boing! Boing! They bounced up and down. Whoosh! Swoosh! They flew through the air-- Crash! --into the cuckoo clock.) to wonderfully detailed and humorous illustrations, this book is a winner.