Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault Illustrated by Lois Ehlert

Plot Summary:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault Illustrated by Lois Ehlert is about the mischievous lowercase letters dare each other to climb up the coconut tree until the entire alphabet is shakily clinging to the tree. Suddenly, “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!” All the letters come tumbling down. The uppercase letters, who are the parents, come to the rescue of their little children. Each parent takes their injured letter home. The book leave the reader wondering if the mischievous lowercase letters will dare each other to climb up the coconut tree at night.

Impression about the book:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault Illustrated by Lois Ehlert is an educational interpretation of lowercase letters and upper case “parent letters”. The visual elements of this book exemplify the quality of an educational first-class picture book. In Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, the illustrations contain both curved and straight lines. The illustrator has used lines by placing a colorful border along each page encasing the content of the author’s text. The lines direct the view’s eyes to take note of the occurrences of the letters. The two-dimensional objects are represented in a simple fashion. The straight lines shape the letters and a simple graphic of a coconut tree on each page. Lois Ehlert uses bold values of hues with sharp, bright saturation in color to depict each illustration. In Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, the illustrator uses smooth texture to illustrate the pictures. In Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, the illustrator does a fantastic job unifying the author’s intention by humorously illustrating the text. The viewer’s eyes are directed by the text and the illustrator does a fantastic job depicting the contents. For example, the humorous way in which the “the black-eyed p” and other funny letters are portrayed make this a great picture book.

Reviews / Reviews Excerpts:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is a fun way to learn the alphabet. The storyline is humorous and at the same time, it show children the sequential order of the alphabet. The book also illustrates lowercase letters as well as uppercase letters. In the end, the mischievous little letters leave the reader wondering if the book will continue its storyline.

Suggestions for library use:

The uses for this book are endless. The librarian can utilize this book as a read aloud. Children can identify the lower and uppercase letters while reading the story. Also, it teaches children the sequential order of the alphabet.