Pants for Chuck

Reviewed by: Sheila Dube - Springvale Public Library, Springvale, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 11, 2014

Review

This is an easy reader book in the format of a picture book with lots of white space and a single line of text per page in a large font. The animals in the backyard are playing, running and climbing with Big Chuck, the woodchuck. When they come upon a discarded doll, Chuck tries on the doll's pants. He checks himself in the mirror, but doesn't listen to his friends that the pants are too small and he tries to play, run and climb as before but with much difficulty. The story provides repetition of words and actions to support the new reader. The illustrations provide a layer of sophistication to the story from the front end page which sets the scene with a child in the window to the back end page which may have the reader wondering if the story happened or if the child in the window was imagining it. Most of the illustrations show expression and action, although one picture of Chuck running has an awkward stiff pose to his back feet like he is stuffed.

Overall Book Score: good