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retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34228347-click-clack-moo-i-love-you?from_search=true
Cronin, Doreen. 2017. Click, Clack, Moo I LOVE YOU! Ill. Betsy Lewin. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781481444965
PLOT SUMMARY
It is Valentine’s Day on Farmer Brown’s
farm, and Little Duck has been busy preparing for the barnyard dance for her
friends. She tied balloons, sparkly
lights, and streamers all over the barn.
She made dozens of hearts and glittery valentines for all her
friends. Soon, Little Duck’s friends
arrive, bringing food to share. The only problem with the party was that nobody
mingled. The chickens danced with the
chickens, and the pigs danced with the pigs.
Then, the sound of the music from the party catches the attention of
Little Fox, who comes to investigate.
After watching Little Duck exchange valentines with Little Fox and
include her in the party, the other animals take their cue from her. In the end, the pigs and sheep were merrily dancing with the chickens while Little Duck danced with her new friend Little Fox.
Click, Clack, Moo I LOVE YOU! is a charming addition to the Click, Clack series by Cronin and Lewin. While Farmer Brown is busy attending to the various maintenance needs of the farm that keep the animals happy, healthy, and safe, Little Duck shows that she can contribute too by completing the preparations for the barnyard dance. By paying careful attention to details, ensuring there are valentines for everyone, greeting each guest at the door, and graciously welcoming and including Little Fox in the party, Little Duck models for young children how to fulfill the duties of a gracious host. Little Duck also represents the theme of friendship.
Early in the story, the repetition of the word “everything” creates the opportunity for choral reading and increased audience engagement:
“She tied balloons to…everything.
She hung streamers from…everything.
She strung sparkling lights between…everything.”
During the dance scenes, the patterned writing combined with matching illustrations also creates opportunities for choral reading and for beginning readers to read along:
“the chickens danced with the chickens,
the pigs danced with the pigs,
the sheep dance with the sheep…”
When Little Fox unexpectedly arrives at the dance, patterned writing once again creates opportunities for beginning readers to read along:
“The chickens stopped dancing.
The sheep stopped dancing.
The pigs stopped dancing.”
Lewin’s illustration of Little Duck
is reminiscent of one of Suzy Spafford’s endearing “Suzy’s Zoo” duck characters. There is a good balance of artwork and white
space shown on each page. The notable
exception is the reader’s first view of the inside of barn where Little Duck is
making decorations. The artwork gives
the reader the feeling of being inside the barn. The primary source of light is shown coming through
the open barn doors, revealing the brightness outside, and the size and depth
of barn is portrayed with the darker colors used near the hay bales and hay
loft.
Starting on page 4, each page has
been treated with carefully applied glitter accents. The care in the treatment and application of
the glitter is especially appreciated since it does not appear to come with
multiple uses, making it safe for young children who often touch things and
then put their hands in their mouths.
This detail also creates a unique tactile experience for young children
who can not only read and hear about the glitter, but also experience the feel
of the glitter on various items in the book.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From Publisher’s
Weekly: “Lewin’s watercolors are as expressive and playful as ever (though
they are covered with an inordinate amount of glitter accents, even for
Valentine’s Day), and Cronin subtly passes along some sage advice: the best
parties have an element of the unexpected.”
From Kirkus
Reviews: “Lewin’s characters are a delight, their facial expressions
bringing life to this party. And the mice doing the hustle? They are worth the
price of admission all by themselves.”
CONNECTIONS
Collect Caldecott Honor books to
read such as:
Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. ISBN 9781481465410
Collect other Doreen Cronin and
Betsy Lewin books to read such as:
Click, Clack, Ho! Ho! Ho! ISBN 978-1442496736
Duck for President. ISBN 9780689863776
Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack. ISBN 9780439899758
For a curated theme display, designate a bookshelf or table during
the month of February with other Valentine’s Day themed books such as:
Numeroff, Laura. Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse! ISBN 9780061804328
Dewdney, Anna. Llama Llama I Love You. ISBN 9780451469816
Dean, James. Pete the Cat: Valentine's Day Is Cool! ISBN 9780062198655
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