Chicken Cheeks (Book)

Black, M. (2009). Chicken cheeks (the beginning of the ends). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-1-4169-4864-3

Interest Level: Ages 3 to 7
Genre: Picture Book
Subjects/Themes: Animals, Buttocks, Anatomy

Plot: This is a simple story about a bear trying to get some honey out of a tree while describing different animals’ back ends.

Personal Thoughts: Children will get a laugh out of the phrases such as “turkey tush” and “flamingo fanny.”  Each page shows the different animals standing on one another’s head to form a ladder.  The last page shows them all falling down after running into the “bumblebee bum” guarding the honey.  The illustrations of the animals are comically rendered against the bright sky blue background.  This is a great book for a laugh during bathroom or body part themed storytimes, even if a bit short.

Other Books by Author: The Purple Kangaroo (2010); and A Pig Parade is a Terrible Idea (2010).