Chuck's Band

by Peggy Perry Anderson

Listen up, Old MacDonald! Following the charming appeal of Chuck’s Truck, this tale sees Chuck and his barnyard friends forming a band, and boy howdy, these critters can really play! Join the ruckus with Peggy Perry Anderson’s toe-tapping, knee-slapping rhymes and bright illustrations introducing all of the musicians and their different instruments. While Chuck plays the banjo, the goat, Flo, joins him on her mandolin, and all the rest make music too: “With a strum and a hum, a peck and a pluck, they all played a tune while the chicken went, ‘Cluck.’” But what is the matter with Fat Cat Pat? Does she want her own instrument too, or is something else making that cat blue?

Genres: Picture Books, Music, Childrens, Fiction, M M Romance, Storytime, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 2008

Reviews

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice rhythmic book if you chant it for storytime. And I love that grumpy Fat Cat Pat.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anderson, Peggy Perry Chuck's Band. PICTURE BOOK, Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

What Fun! Farmer Chuck goes to town, buys a banjo and starts a chain reaction that ultimately involves all of the animals, each with a musical instrument including a washtub, a washboard and a bucket - "With a strum and a hum, / a peck and a pluck, they / all played a tune / while the chicken / went 'cluck." Except Fat Cat Pat, who refuses all offers, holds out for something that suits her better and provides a comical ending to the story.

Short rhyming phrases and bold, bright illustrations make for vivid scenes and fun reading.

EL (K-3) - ESSENTIAL - Beverly Stout, Area Library Media Specialist.
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chuck and the farm animals form a band in this rhyming easy reader. All the animals find an instrument that fits their style, though the fat cat is happiest blocking out all the noise of their practicing, until night fall when the fat cat likes to sing.

Great for beginning readers building skills and confidence, grades K-2.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to a big, friendly, country music get-together.

Soon all the animals around are making music with Chuck. All in good fun. For instance:

On the bucket
Buck could play.
Not only that, but
he could bray!

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's sort of a twist at the very end. I'm going to use this book in a music-themed storytime at my library.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has great artwork and the story is cute.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple illustrations with vibrant colors and a fun illustrative style. An early reader with a nice story about a farmer and animals in a band together.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book to read that introduces a wide variety of instruments to children.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: Chuck and his barnyard friends form a band, but they have trouble finding an instrument for Fat Cat Pat to play, since all the cat wants to do is sleep all day.

I like how the story introduces each pair of animals and then gives the reader the opportunity to guess which instruments they might play in the band.
The flow of the text and rhyming is sometimes awkward.

This is Chuck.
To town he went.
He bought a musical instrument.

Here she came, the old goat Flo.
She heard Chuck play his new banjo.

Chuck bought her a mandolin.
Now Nip and Tuck want to join in.

Themes: music, musical instruments, farms, animals

[IrenesBookReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A farmer named Chuck and his barnyard friends strike up a band. Each animal gets to pick their instrument. The cat is not happy with any instruments but decides instead to use some ear muffs so he can take a nap while they all play their music.

You could use this book to teach rhythm and rhyming. You can also talk about the different musical instruments they use in the story and explain how to use them.

[Picturebookreviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found Chuck's Band online today and I expected a less mediocre book, honestly. From the cover I just expected a hootenanny with Chuck on a banjo but the book really has no plotline except that a farmer named Chuck starts a band with some farm animals. The book has no troubles, really, it's just too simple and short. There's no problems in the book the characters face, it's just all too simple for me. I suggest you skip this book unless your kids really enjoy animals/music.

[Ina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book with rhyming text and colorful illustrations...Farmer Chuck buys a banjo and then all of his animals want instruments, too. One by one Chuck's Band forms: goat on mandolin, pig on fiddle, dog on guitar...until there is a porch full of happy animals playing and singing. But what about Fat Cat Pat? Pat wants to participate, but in a very different way.

[Edna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Farmer Chuck buys a banjo and each of his farm animals decide they want to play an instrument, too so he buys them all a different instrument and, in no time, they create a band while Fat Cat Pat wears ear plugs.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute story for kids who like music, farm animals, or stories that have fun rhyme patterns and quick rhythm. I love the soft, colorful style of the illustrations, and the cat at the end cracked me up.

[Amy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Farmer Chuck forms a band but can't figure out what instrument the cat will play.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story of a man who makes a band with all his animals. Fun, colorful illustrations (looks like crayon). Text sometimes does not work, but a fun story

[Allison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another book about farm animals that play music. Super. One of the better ones, though.

[Daryl Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

PB35 - I am a music lover so I thought this was a cool book about a band on the farm.

[Terry]

My daughter liked the rhyming and laughed at seeing all the different animals playing instruments. I liked the pictures the most, but also liked the creative rhyming.

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