Peck Peck Peck tells the story of a little woodpecker who is learning to peck. Lucy Cousin’s bold, colourful illustrations are full of holes by the end of the story!
The Story: Daddy shows his little woodpecker how to peck holes in a tree then tells him to go and practise. The little woodpecker takes him at his word and pecks everything in sight! He starts outside and then goes into a house to peck some more. He goes into various rooms and pecks clothes, food and even the toilet! When he’s tired he goes back to his dad to tell him how much fun he has had.
I would recommend Peck Peck Peck for younger children although my daughter also finds it very funny. Lucy Cousin’s simple rhyming text accompanies her wonderful illustrations. Outside the woodpecker contents himself with pecking one hole per page but as his expertise and confidence grow so do the number of holes in the pages. The text is on the left of each spread while the picture is on the right which means that towards the end of the story you are reading around the holes! I don’t think the owners of the house will be very pleased when they come home!
The subtle message in the story is that practice makes perfect. The little woodpecker pecks through various items of clothing, Aunt Geraldine’s picture, various food items and by the time he is finished in the utility room there is nothing left for him to peck (I’m not sure that the washing machine will work properly with so many holes in it!). My daughter laughs out loud when he pecks the loo), this really is one of those stories that make her giggle uncontrollably!
Younger readers will enjoy following the little woodpecker’s antics but with its simple picture clues it is also a great book for beginner readers. There are also lots of holes for children to practise counting!
Age Range: 1+
Author / Illustrator: Lucy Cousins
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