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Cuckoo!
Hilarious and heartwarming read-aloud from IRA Children’s Book Award winner
Cuckoo hatches. And all is well. But when his brothers and sisters sing out Too-too-weet! Too-too-weet! Cuckoo instead chirps Cuckoo! and no one can understand him.
When he leaves his nest, Cuckoo still can’t find anyone who speaks his language. He tries to communicate with the other animals—coomooing and buckooing and cabooing along the way—but he doesn’t sound like anyone else out there! Just when he thinks all is lost, Cuckoo finds an unlikely friend who understands him perfectly.
IRA Children’s Book Award winner Fiona Roberton has created an utterly charming read-aloud about a little bird that will win fans over with his hilarious attempts at communication and determination to go to any length to find a friend.
Cuckoo hatches. And all is well. But when his brothers and sisters sing out Too-too-weet! Too-too-weet! Cuckoo instead chirps Cuckoo! and no one can understand him.
When he leaves his nest, Cuckoo still can’t find anyone who speaks his language. He tries to communicate with the other animals—coomooing and buckooing and cabooing along the way—but he doesn’t sound like anyone else out there! Just when he thinks all is lost, Cuckoo finds an unlikely friend who understands him perfectly.
IRA Children’s Book Award winner Fiona Roberton has created an utterly charming read-aloud about a little bird that will win fans over with his hilarious attempts at communication and determination to go to any length to find a friend.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published November 26, 2012
2 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Roberton
19 books19 followersFiona Roberton was born in Oxford, studied art and design in London and New York, and has worked and lived and travelled all over the world. Travelling is one of her favourite things.
She has kept the wolf from the door for a number of years by designing stuff, but has since befriended the wolf, and now has him to tea on Tuesdays. Sometimes, they go out.
She has kept the wolf from the door for a number of years by designing stuff, but has since befriended the wolf, and now has him to tea on Tuesdays. Sometimes, they go out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
September 17, 2024
The bright, colourful title page, with its fancy lettering and adorable bird, immediately caught my attention. The storyline is sweet, following a little bird hatching from its egg only to find that it speaks a different language than its family—and seemingly everyone else in the world. The cuckoo embarks on a long, tiring journey to find someone who understands him. While I wanted to rate this book higher, it didn't quite capture my interest or the class's enthusiasm as much as I'd hoped.
October 27, 2016
My husband and I both speak multiple languages. Maybe I should rephrase, my husband speaks them both and I get by. If needed I can pull out vocabulary words buried deep in the recesses of my mind. Sometimes my excursions go off without a hitch and sometimes they end with me laughing as I realize just what came out of my mouth (my favorite has to be when I asked a hotel if they’d found anyone’s eyeballs in the room we just vacated that morning). Communicating even in English is difficult especially in the age of text messages when tone can only be conveyed by emojis. Cuckoo! Doesn’t delve into these issues but it does introduce them in a cute and funny way.
The story begins with Cuckoo’s birth and all is well as his mother hugs him and fusses over him. Then his siblings are born and they all begin chattering away, only Cuckoo can’t understand anything they say and vice versa. Cuckoo decides that he needs to find someone who does understand him but every creature he speaks to doesn’t understand a single thing he says and vice versa. So, quite resourcefully he tries learning another language. He fails with Sheep, Cow, Snake, Pig, etc. He’s not sure what he’ll do when he hears a young boy playing with a wind up Cuckoo bird (that breaks a few moments later). This young fellow understands him perfectly and wants him just the way he is.
Roberton tells the story through traditional text and word bubbles (which Bug has taken to calling balloons). Both are effective narrative devises, conveying to the reader the frustration that Cuckoo and the other animals are going through. The typical responses to incomprehension of another language are depicted in these moments. The most obvious occurring at the beginning, when Cuckoo is trying to communicate with his family, not many words are necessary as you follow their attempt at conversation:
“Too too weet?”
“Cuck oo?”
“Tooo tooo weeet.”
“Cuuuuck Ooo.”
The illustrations are sweet, bright, and simple. Roberton’s animals all have a unique look with imaginative distinguishing characters. Cuckoo has a lovely striped belly, the pigs all have pot bellys and the snakes are all polka-dot. She also has a lovely sense of humor, hiding amusing details within the book. One page sports a boy walking a duck on a leash (a character from another of her books), while another shows a wolf at the language school learning how to Baa. Combined, the story and illustrations are a great lesson in tenacity and self-awareness.
Story Tips:
The sheep have a balloon that keep making appearances. Keep an eye out for it.
I need more!
Fiona Roberton’s A Tale of Two Beasts is another work about failed communications and very cute. She also has Wanted: the Perfect Pet and The Perfect Present. More infor about her is available on her website: http://www.iloveporkchop.com Seriously, that’s it. I’m not sending you to some random place.
The story begins with Cuckoo’s birth and all is well as his mother hugs him and fusses over him. Then his siblings are born and they all begin chattering away, only Cuckoo can’t understand anything they say and vice versa. Cuckoo decides that he needs to find someone who does understand him but every creature he speaks to doesn’t understand a single thing he says and vice versa. So, quite resourcefully he tries learning another language. He fails with Sheep, Cow, Snake, Pig, etc. He’s not sure what he’ll do when he hears a young boy playing with a wind up Cuckoo bird (that breaks a few moments later). This young fellow understands him perfectly and wants him just the way he is.
Roberton tells the story through traditional text and word bubbles (which Bug has taken to calling balloons). Both are effective narrative devises, conveying to the reader the frustration that Cuckoo and the other animals are going through. The typical responses to incomprehension of another language are depicted in these moments. The most obvious occurring at the beginning, when Cuckoo is trying to communicate with his family, not many words are necessary as you follow their attempt at conversation:
“Too too weet?”
“Cuck oo?”
“Tooo tooo weeet.”
“Cuuuuck Ooo.”
The illustrations are sweet, bright, and simple. Roberton’s animals all have a unique look with imaginative distinguishing characters. Cuckoo has a lovely striped belly, the pigs all have pot bellys and the snakes are all polka-dot. She also has a lovely sense of humor, hiding amusing details within the book. One page sports a boy walking a duck on a leash (a character from another of her books), while another shows a wolf at the language school learning how to Baa. Combined, the story and illustrations are a great lesson in tenacity and self-awareness.
Story Tips:
The sheep have a balloon that keep making appearances. Keep an eye out for it.
I need more!
Fiona Roberton’s A Tale of Two Beasts is another work about failed communications and very cute. She also has Wanted: the Perfect Pet and The Perfect Present. More infor about her is available on her website: http://www.iloveporkchop.com Seriously, that’s it. I’m not sending you to some random place.
January 27, 2014
I have read another of Fiona Roberton's books, "Wanted: The Perfect Pet."
This book tells the story of a cuckoo who hatches in another birds nest, because cuckoo's lay their eggs in other birds' nests. Soon he realises he is not like the other birds so he goes off to try and find someone to talk too. He sees all the animals and even tries learning their languages but nothing works. Until the end when he finds a friend.
Now everything about this book is good. The illustrations are simple and neat, there is a call back to the previous book as Henry from that book walks his duck, and my 7-year-old daughter saw that too, which was a lovely moment. But I was hugely disappointed with the ending. Basically this book is about a human and an animal coming together and forming a friendship. This is exactly the same theme as the "Wanted: The Perfect Pet" book. Maybe the author is running out of ideas, if so my contact details are in my profile. But as a stand-alone this book would probably be fine.
This book tells the story of a cuckoo who hatches in another birds nest, because cuckoo's lay their eggs in other birds' nests. Soon he realises he is not like the other birds so he goes off to try and find someone to talk too. He sees all the animals and even tries learning their languages but nothing works. Until the end when he finds a friend.
Now everything about this book is good. The illustrations are simple and neat, there is a call back to the previous book as Henry from that book walks his duck, and my 7-year-old daughter saw that too, which was a lovely moment. But I was hugely disappointed with the ending. Basically this book is about a human and an animal coming together and forming a friendship. This is exactly the same theme as the "Wanted: The Perfect Pet" book. Maybe the author is running out of ideas, if so my contact details are in my profile. But as a stand-alone this book would probably be fine.
August 30, 2024
First of all ... the title visual, with the different fonts, in a little blurb ... I thought it was super cute, as was the little round bird. We shant talk about the REAL story behind cuckoo birds ... our little cute cuckoo leaves the nest when he discovers he is different, hoping to find someone "who speaks the same language" and understands his cuckoo call. The illustrations were darling and imaginative as he comes across all sorts of animals, and their unique sounds. He even tries to learn to speak other "languages" to no avail. Then he hears a cuckoo call ... it's unfortunately only a toy, but the boy with the toy - there's an instant connection. Cute :)
The line of illustrated animals and their "speech bubbles" just inside the front and back covers ... so cute!
The line of illustrated animals and their "speech bubbles" just inside the front and back covers ... so cute!
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March 3, 2025Cuckoo is a little bird who finds himself feeling estranged from his family because he looks and communicates differently. Cuckoo goes on a quest to find a community just right for itself! Cuckoo finds comfort in someone who can understand them even if they don't look the same.
Cuckoo is a good book to use when introducing the concept of community and inclusion. It is ok to surround yourself with others who are different than you as long as everyone is respected and accounted for!
Cuckoo is a good book to use when introducing the concept of community and inclusion. It is ok to surround yourself with others who are different than you as long as everyone is respected and accounted for!
January 26, 2018
As a former linguist, I LOVED this one. If I ever do a foreign language theme, this book would be part of it. Cuckoo looks all over for another animal that understand his call. He even tries studying other animals' languages but he doesn't have a knack for them. Will he ever find a friend who understands him?
Adorable cuckoo, animal noises, a sheep teaching "Baa" classes - what's not to love?
Adorable cuckoo, animal noises, a sheep teaching "Baa" classes - what's not to love?
June 24, 2019
The Illustrations are clean cut and leave little for the imagination. Relatable story about trying to find your place in the world. This book emphasizes the heartwarming feeling of finding someone who understands you, and demonstrates that changing to fit those around you doesn’t seem to turn out for the better.
August 28, 2017
A young cuckoo bird searches for someone who understands him.
December 20, 2017
A nice story about differences and about finding someone who understands you
December 27, 2017
So cute! Fiona Roberton’s darling drawings and minimal text had me chuckling throughout.
December 3, 2022
2022 Popsugar Reading Challenge: book with an onomatopoeia in its title
Charming kids book about a young chick trying to find someone who understands them
Charming kids book about a young chick trying to find someone who understands them
May 14, 2014
I'd really like to give this about a 3.5 for cute illustrations and animal noises and a 0.5 for plot and message.
A bird is hatched. He cannot communicate with his family. So he leaves. Love that message - you can't talk to your family immediately upon birth - out with you! There is no room for difference there!
Then he meets all sorts of animals, none of whom speak his language. He tries to learn how to speak their languages but is a failure (I'd sort of assume anyone would fail at this, but evidently he is the only animal of all the ones attending school who is unable to master this skill).
Finally, finally, he hears another cuckoo. at which point he is adopted? captured? by a boy who is fond of cuckoos.
Can't like it. Sorry.
A bird is hatched. He cannot communicate with his family. So he leaves. Love that message - you can't talk to your family immediately upon birth - out with you! There is no room for difference there!
Then he meets all sorts of animals, none of whom speak his language. He tries to learn how to speak their languages but is a failure (I'd sort of assume anyone would fail at this, but evidently he is the only animal of all the ones attending school who is unable to master this skill).
Finally, finally, he hears another cuckoo. at which point he is adopted? captured? by a boy who is fond of cuckoos.
Can't like it. Sorry.
July 29, 2016
When a cuckoo bird first hatches, all is well. Then he discovers that the birds in his family do not speak his language, so he sets out to find someone who understand him. He tries talking to a variety of animals, including sheep, frogs, pigs, snakes, and more, but none of them understand what he's saying. So then he tries to learn their language, but, try as he might, he does not succeed. Just as he's given up hope, he discovers someone who does speak his language -- a toddler. This book has a simple story, and bright, lovely illustrations. It would probably work better as a one on one read, but could definitely find a spot in storytimes, particularly due to the variety of animal sounds.
November 15, 2014
Great book about a small bird that tries to find his place in the world. He even tries to change who he is to fit in with different animals because he doesn't seem to fit in any where. The bird does find a happy ending but in an unconventional way. I liked this book a lot and the text seems to be artful itself. I read this to my daughter at the library and she was so into it, great book.
I know it may feel like I'm just phoning this in but I'm not. I would use of course a lower level, level two, and have the children defend if it was right for Cuckoo to just give in and give up or should he have tried harder to fit in with the other animals he was trying to fit in with.
Roberton, F. (2014). Cuckoo (p. 40). Putnam Juvenile.
I know it may feel like I'm just phoning this in but I'm not. I would use of course a lower level, level two, and have the children defend if it was right for Cuckoo to just give in and give up or should he have tried harder to fit in with the other animals he was trying to fit in with.
Roberton, F. (2014). Cuckoo (p. 40). Putnam Juvenile.
October 3, 2014
A cute story with charming illustrations about a cuckoo bird who hatches and can't communicate with his family, so sets out to find someone he can speak the same language as. Comes across many animals along the way all speaking their own unique words. Unfortunately, he doesn't end up back with his family at the end, which worries me that the message could be interpreted as to find someone else instead of trying to work out differences and learn to communicate with each other. There is a small scene that tries to do this, but it doesn't end that way. So I feel mixed about this one.
November 28, 2014
As do his other feathered siblings, Cuckoo hatches and enjoys a blissful childhood. That is--until the others find it impossible to understand anything he has to say. He sets off on a journey in search of someone with whom he can communicate and finds that someone in a surprising form. I figured he'd eventually run into a cuckoo clock and was pleasantly surprised by the story's twist. The story is simple although loaded with subtle lessons, and the illustrations provide plenty of amusement.
December 3, 2014
I love this sweet book. Lots of fun sounds to make with this one--great and I'm sure the kids will have a great time repeating them. I can hear all the "cuckoos" now!
Just reread this one and had a different reaction. I still think the kids will like it, but I think I would have liked it better if Cuckoo would have been successful learning the other animals languages.
Just reread this one and had a different reaction. I still think the kids will like it, but I think I would have liked it better if Cuckoo would have been successful learning the other animals languages.
April 3, 2014
This was a very cute book about a baby bird trying to find a connection. I don't mean cute as in the insulting "cute." I mean cute as in the baby bird is adorable--as are the rest of the animals he encounters on his quest to find someone who understands him. Animal sounds abound, making for a fun read aloud.
September 14, 2014
Persistence in finding someone with whom to communicate is apparently the main point, and some children may find humor in Cuckoo's journey.
Some pages have so many images showing his journey that arrows are included to guide the reader, which I find helpful but wonder if that is a good quality in a picture book?
Some pages have so many images showing his journey that arrows are included to guide the reader, which I find helpful but wonder if that is a good quality in a picture book?
October 2, 2014
This is a cute and clever book about all of the ways that people and animals communicate with each other. Not everyone speaks the same language, but if we all try to communicate, we will succeed at least partway and will ultimately find someone who understands us completely. Great for ECE readers.
December 19, 2014
Cuckoo struggles to find anyone who speaks his language. The other birds and animals can't understand Cuckoo, so he goes to school to learn their languages. Cuckoo is so tired and lonely until he finds someone who understands him... perfectly.
ESL students and teachers will relate to this story of being understood.
ESL students and teachers will relate to this story of being understood.
January 12, 2016
This just didn't grab me. It features a lot of dialogue bubbles which might have thrown me off. The story of a bird that doesn't speak like everyone else so he sets off to find others like him. He tries speaking many other animal languages till he finds a home with a boy who had a toy who spoke like him
April 14, 2014
Some times we just need to find someone who speaks our language. Cute drawings and animal sounds will make this a success with the younger set, but the other ideas are way above them. With a bit more plot could have been even cuter.
February 18, 2014
A cute little story about finding the right thing for you!
Lovely images and a book I'd happily recommend.
Lovely images and a book I'd happily recommend.
March 3, 2014
Newly hatched cuckoo searches for someone who speaks his language.
July 29, 2016
A sweet story, with easy sound effects that you can make with the kids as you read along. Cute pictures and story about being a little different than the others.
April 5, 2014
kids could participate and make some of the noises.
September 6, 2016
Adorable. Poor little cuckoo can't find anyone who speaks his language, and he proves to be a poor mimic as well. But all ends well when he finds another cuckoo "bird."
April 25, 2014
Cute art, didn't care for the story too much though
April 29, 2014
A very cute story about a bird that no one seems to understand. Simple and plain illustrations. Reminds of the book called "The Cow that oinked" by Bernard Most.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews