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Summary
Summary
Comical and original, this vivacious picture book from the creator of Maisy features a lovable new character -- and a novelty element that's a hole lot of fun.
Today my daddy said to me,
"It's time you learned to peck a tree."
Little woodpecker has just learned to peck. Yippee! He's having so much fun that he peck-peck-pecks right through a door and has a go at everything on the other side, from the hat to the mat, the racket to the jacket, the teddy bear to a book called Jane Eyre. Children will be drawn to the young bird's exuberance at learning a new skill -- and ready to snuggle along at day's end for a night of sweet dreams.
Author Notes
English children's book author/illustrator Lucy Cousins was born on February 10, 1964. She studied at Canterbury College, received a BA Honours in Graphic Design from The Faculty of Arts and Architecture, Brighton Polytechnic, and earned a postgraduate degree from the Royal College of Art.
Cousins is best known for creating the popular Maisy mouse character for preschool children. Her first book was published not long after she finished college, and Maisy even has her own successful television show.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Cousins's black outlines and cozy colors (which will be instantly recognizable to Maisy fans) tell the story of a young woodpecker learning to peck. "Now hold on tight. That's very good," says the woodpecker father to his offspring. "Then peck, peck, peck, peck, peck the wood." The junior woodpecker's first efforts are revealed with a small, die-cut hole: "Peck peck peck 'Oh, look, yippee!/ I've pecked a hole right through this tree.' " Eagerly, the bird ventures closer to a house and then inside it, turning successive pages into something that comes close to Swiss cheese. "I peck, peck, peck a magazine,/ a picture of Aunt Geraldine,/ an armchair, a teddy bear,/ and a book called Jane Eyre," boasts the small bird. Exhausted, the pecking student heads home to bed. The father woodpecker appears to be a single father, and the sex of the young woodpecker is unstated. The story is stripped-down and expertly paced, and the idea of receiving warm praise from a parent for poking holes in a bunch of random objects stays funny all the way through. Ages 2-5. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
It's time for a little woodpecker to learn how to peck: "Now, off you go, / my little one. / Practice hard / and have some fun." And peck it does, first outside then in a house, pecking everything in sight while actual holes accumulate on the thick pages. The rhythmic text is bouncy and, as always, Cousins's illustrations are bold and recognizable. (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
The young woodpecker featured in this tale is a quick study: After one lesson from his daddy, he's ready to practice pecking on his own. With her signature palette of bold primary colors, Cousins' gouache world of familiar objects is a toddler's delight. There are a variety of household and backyard items to identify, colors and patterns to find and things to count. The thick, hand-lettered, black text lends itself to pointing out key words. The fledgling starts his tutorial with a single die-cut hole in a tree and ultimately becomes a bit dizzy as he finishes with 53 on a page; the scene is a laundry room peppered with pecks. A few of the rhymes are a bit bumpy: "So off I flew / I couldn't wait / across the grass / and onto the gate." Children, however, will be so busy finding the openings, sized just right for little fingers, they are not likely to care. The final pecks, sans holes, are loving kisses from a proud father. From the sunny, see-through cover to the final bedtime snuggle, this day in the life of an overachiever (naughty by human standards) is sure to generate chortles and great interest. (Picture book. 2-4)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* The real holes in the front cover and a little woodpecker making a new one get this off to a fun start, and there's more playfulness inside. The book begins with the daddy woodpecker showing his son how to hold tight on a tree and peck, peck, peck, peck, peck the wood. With the basic skill mastered, it's time for the youngster to get going, pecking through a fence and a front door. Once inside, everything's fair game: a hat, the mat, a tennis racket, and a jacket. Then pecking begins in the closet, the bedroom, and the kitchen. Although the book might sound like a one-trick pony, it not only has irresistible charm but in Cousins' signature fashion, there's a lot to learn. The text mentions each of the peckable items, so as Woody pecks holes in the toilet, the sink, etc., children will be able to point them out on the page. Sometimes, not every item is obvious for instance, the shampoo in the medicine cabinet so kids will have to use their skills of observation to pick (not peck) the items. With pure, solid colors as backgrounds and illustrations that feature Cousins' recognizable chunky pictures outlined in black, the artwork has immediate kid appeal. There's a world of interactive enjoyment here, but make sure a part of it isn't letting small fingers make those many holes just a little bit bigger!--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
