Chuck and Woodchuck

Chuck and Woodchuck
Cece Bell

My rating: ★★★★

ISBN: 978-0763675240
Publisher: Candlewick
Date of publication: March 8, 2016
Age: 4 - 8 years

Themes: friendship, shyness, woodchucks, school, show & tell

When Caroline's classmate Chuck brings Woodchuck to show-and-tell, Woodchuck is so funny that their teacher says he can come to school every day! Woodchuck is friendly to everyone, but he's especially sweet to Caroline. He gives her Chuck’s hat when her ears get cold and Chuck's cupcake when she drops hers. But when Caroline forgets her lines during the class play, it's not Woodchuck who comes to the rescue.

This is just plain old adorable. A bit in the vein of Bell's book El Deafo, this book reads from first person, relaying simply and sweetly the tale of some shy friends. While it may be simply told, there's still some character/story development to appreciate, mainly Chuck's ability to talk to Caroline. Also, the illustrations, in classic Bell style, are perfect for the book. I especially appreciated how there were things to notice in the background--like how Chuck would always notice how to help out Caroline. You'll just have to see the book to really appreciate it.

And while this is a cute book and would, indeed, make a fine readaloud (especially to start off a school year), it's not quite a five-star, simply because of its simplicity. It's just plain adorable, like I said before. Still, definitely give a try, especially for the shy guys and Cece Bell fans in your life.

Find it at your library or on Amazon