Review: Click, Clack, Moo I Love You! by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

CLICK, CLACK, MOO

I LOVE YOU!

by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin

Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books

Picture Book

Valentine's Day

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

It’s Valentine’s Day and on the farm - that means a Valentine’s party! Little Duck is wildly excited. She hangs balloons, streamers, sparkling lights, and hearts everywhere, and hand-makes a valentine for everyone. On top of a hill, a little fox hears the music from the party and follows Little Duck’s many decorations to the barn…but foxes are not at all welcome on farms. The chickens stop dancing. The sheep stop dancing. The pigs stop dancing. The mice hustle off to hide. Will Little Fox ruin the dance? Or, perhaps, she’s just what the party needs!

MY TIDBITS

Glitter and barn yard celebration abound in this lovely Valentine's story, which shows that love and friendship stretch beyond even carefully built and mended boundaries.

Valentine's Day is a special day at the farm, but no one is as excited as Little Duck. Streamers and balloons dangle from every barnyard corner for the big celebration, and all farm animals are more than happy to join in the fun. Just as everyone is dancing away, an unexpected guest arrives and not necessarily the most desired one.

Starting with a good 'ole barnyard feel of fence fixing and hay, this book quickly turns to giggles and smiles thanks to one cute Little Duck and her extreme Valentine's Day excitement. The joy gleams from the pages—and not only because of the delightful oodles of glitter sweeping across every illustration. Little Duck's excitement is contagious. The mix of barnyard animals and their fun rounds off the festivities before the wonderful message sets in, and what a timely message it is. In a way that raises a little tension and holds a spark of fun, the book takes on the question of diversity and reminds not to judge people by their appearance.

The illustrations are adorable, and the ample splashes of glitter make every page a treat. It's colorful and detailed enough to make young listeners want to gaze at the pictures even on their own. The text flows nicely, fits well to ages four and up, and delivers the tale with finesse. But it's definitely the illustrations which make this book shine. Literally.

It's a cute book, especially for farm animal friends, and a nice read for the approaching holiday or even long after that.

And here they are. . .

Doreen Cronin  is the author of The Chicken Squad series, her debut novel Cyclone, and many other New York Times bestselling picture books, including Click, Clack, Surprise!; Click, Clack, Ho, Ho, Ho; Click, Clack, Peep; Click, Clack, Boo!; Dooby Dooby Moo; Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure; Bounce; Wiggle; Duck for President; Giggle, Giggle, Quack; Bloom; and the Caldecott Honor Book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at DoreenCronin.com.

Betsy Lewinis the Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type and its sequels, Click, Clack, Surprise!; Click, Clack, Ho, Ho, Ho; Click, Clack, Peep; Click, Clack, Boo!; Dooby Dooby Moo; and Thump, Quack, Moo: in addition to a number of other picture books, including So, What's It Like to Be a Cat? and Where Is Tippy Toes? She lives in Brooklyn, New York.