January 2010
REVIEWS "Explore what spooky goings-on there are in the dead of night. Wacky and wonderful, it’s a fabulous read-aloud tale to share again and again particularly if it’s Halloween! You’ll meet velvety bats and howling cats and not forgetting the bug-eyed flies and the rotten rats. Spooooooky!"
- www.lovereading4kids.co.uk ----------------------------------- November 2009
Nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2010 ----------------------------------- October 2009 A recipe for Fruity Monkey Nut Cookies inspired by Monkey Monkey Monkey can be found here: http://www.tigersandstrawberries.com/2009/09/24/fruity-monkey-nut-cookies/ ----------------------------------- April 2009
REVIEWS "Monkey wants nuts – ‘monkey-monkey-monkey nuts’ so he sets off searching, finding instead furry spots on leaping leopards, leafy logs, toothy crocs and insect beams emanating from tall trees beside long streams. Up the trees he goes coming upon not those monkey nuts but creeping, crawling seeds (borne by ants), twittering rainbow birds and more. He climbs higher emerging through the canopy into a huge expanse of sky. There, overcome by its enormity, what Monkey wants most of all is his mummy. Then finally there is Monkey’s daddy to scoop him, enfold him and return him safely to more awaiting arms for cuddles, snuggles and yes – a tummy filling heap of those ‘monkey-monkey-monkey nuts’. ----------------------------------- May 2008
"This is a true celebration of the joys of life and the changeable English weather in the simmer. A phonic frolic of onomatopoeia, word play, rhythym and rhyme and a profusion of alliteration as well, it’s just the thing to foster a delight in language play and in the natural world. Fluffy chicks, fuzzy bees and cuddly kittens cavort across a flower decorated brown paper background "Cathy Maclennan's Chicky Chicky Chook Chook is pure nonsense and lovely to read aloud as its fuzzy chicks, kitten and bees discover rain for the first time." - Amanda Craig on cracking Easter reads for children, The Times Newspaper "This rambunctious story has an onomatopoeic rhyming text that children will love to hear again and again. Chicky chicks, buzzy bees, and kitty cats romp in the sunny warm shine and snuggle in the sleepy shine until, "Pitter, patter. Pit. Pit. Patter. Splitter, splatter." Down comes the rain, which makes them "soggy, groggy moggy." "Sunny, sunny breeze and shine. Fluff and fur and fuzz." Inspired by the art and culture of her native Zimbabwe,MacLennan dabs, swirls, and sponges bright splashes of paint on brown butcher paper. Lively spreads and the creative placement of text express energy and movement to make this a unique, eye-catching experience. This creative book is as much fun to read aloud as it is to look at." - Martha Simpson, School Library Journal "A stylized onomatopoeic sound fest marks MacLennan's impressive debut. With bright, feathery dabs and blobs of paint, she introduces a passel of almost palpable fluffy chicks, fuzzy bees and cuddly kittens, all of whom frolic across brown-bag backgrounds to the beat of rhymes like this one: "Chicky, chicky, chook chook./ Chick, chick chick./ Chicky, chicky, chook chook,/ peck... peck... pick." The eyeballs of the rambunctious characters seem to bounce off their bodies, underscoring their kinetic energy. A sudden cloudburst puts a damper on things: "Sticky, icky chicky./ Soggy, groggy moggy./ Wet. Wet. Wet./ Crazy... dizzy... buzzer!/ How will we get dry?" But the sun soon restores everybody back to their previously adorable states-just in time for a good night's sleep. The text may go on a bit long for some grownups' taste, especially since many of the sound combinations could potentially lodge themselves firmly in the brain. But youngsters will find the zippy, percussive language good fun, and plead for repeat readings." - Publishers Weekly |
