How much wood CAN a woodchuck chuck and how exactly do they chuck this wood? In this cute story, our adorable little main character, Chuck the woodchuck, desperately wants to go with his dad into the woods for a day of chucking. Unfortunately, he is only 9 years old, and that darn Woodchuck Rulebook says he has to be 10.
Chuck decides to give chucking a whirl anyways, and throws his friends around. With witty rhymes and beautiful pictures, not to mention the hilarity of Chuck’s friends flying around and into various muddy/mucky areas, my kids were enraptured from the get go. By the end of the book, Chuck turns out to be a true hero, chucking that mean ol’ red fox right away from that tasty little red hen!
Reading level: ages 4-8
Page Count: 36 pages
Publisher: Envision Books (June 1, 2009)
What to expect: a tale about determination, and belief in oneself.
Publisher’s synopsis: The creation of Woodchuck Chuck was a 6-year journey with hundreds of drawings and dozens of paintings. The book is now available.
The initial concept for Woodchuck Chuck came from a conversation with Arthur Levine, editor of Arthur Levine books, in 2002. He suggested the name for the book and Scott began to develop a story. Initial attempts to create something were difficult, until Scott solicited the help of Richard McDermott. With Scott’s input and Rich’s gift for writing, the two developed the first draft of Woodchuck Chuck. Three years later, in 2005, a publishable book dummy was finally completed.
About the Author: Richard E. McDermott is a full time orthodontist and a writer of songs and stories. His goofy songs and amazing talent for rhyme has delighted friends and family for many years. Rich wrote the first draft of Woodchuck Chuck in 2002. He currently lives near St. Louis, MO and is the father of 3 energetic boys.
About the Illustrator:Scott J. Wakefield graduated from Art Center College of Design in 2003. Since that time, Scott has worked primarily as a freelance illustrator. His clients include national children’s magazines and major publishers such as Spider Magazine, Highlights, Scholastic, and McGraw Hill. Artist Representative Gwen Walters has represented him for the past 3 years and continues to show his professional portfolio, which includes work in both traditional and digital media.
Our Rating:5 out of 5