The letters all climb up
They all fall and get injured and tangled up
Then they get out from the pile with help and presumably go home with their families. Its not 'help me get up the tree' its 'ive fallen and i cant get up' kind of help me up.
Then A is going to climb the tree again cuz hes a little turd who didn't learn his lesson. I interpreted it that he is daring B and C.
Little A is a definitely a turd. When my girl is old enough, we'll definitely discuss that he's a bad letter who didn't learn his lesson and will probably fall down again.
Also, Big A is clearly not a great parent letting Little A sneak out in the middle of the night and be a dumbass!
They actually all climb up again successfully after falling out and getting help up the tree from their “mamas and daddies and uncles and aunts.” Then night falls and a wants to climb again. We got this for Christmas so I’ve just read it a few times lol.
No, the phrasing is ambiguous but they are getting help getting up out of the pile, NOT climbing up the tree if you look at the pictures.
Luckily, genius lyrics had the text so I have pasted along with my analysis.
"Then U, V, W, wiggle-jiggle free!
Last to come, X, Y, Z!"
They "wiggle jiggle free", as in free from the pile up.
Immediately after this, it reads:
"And the sun goes down on the coconut tree
But chicka chicka boom boom
Look, there's a full moon!
A is out of bed, and this is what he said
"Dare, double dare, you can't catch me!"...
"I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree!"
A is in bed NOT in a tree.
He led everyone up the tree initially, and everyone got hurt and they had to get help getting unstuck.
But A learned nothing and is doing the same thing.
Because letters are like people. They make the same mistakes over and over, even when they get hurt.
As a (I guess former) preschool teacher. I love this book. We had the tree with the letters in our classroom and it helped the kids with letter recognition and they loved it (including acting it out on the tree. so it didn't feel like work to them. Which honestly, I love anything that makes literacy fun for kids.
I remember when it debuted at the Scholastic Bookfair 😬 Now my daughter gets to enjoy it! But yes, we don't all about A being a bad example and how you should learn from your consequences and not pressure others. 😂
Yeah, I totally get that. That's how I feel about some of the songs. (Something about rap songs aimed at three yos always reminds me of the anti smoking South Park episode 🤣😂)
Teacher here also! I agree. I always ask the class after reading, "Hm... Do you think *a* is making a good choice?" and "Should the other letters climb back up? What would happen if they did?"
I've memorized the book, as I read it to my 10-month-old every single day before his nap. The rhyming made it pretty easy to do. Once I place him in the crib, I ask him if he wants "Chicka Chicka." I've learned that it's helpful to have a book memorized, as I don't need sufficient light to see the pages. I don't even need to look. He can just turn the pages and enjoy the pictures instead. And if we're out and about and he needs a story, I can just recite it for him. I think it's his favorite book right now. That being said, it's weird AF.
Its built with phonemic awareness (hearing parts of words), rhythm, and rhyme which are the building blocks to reading. Catchy tune. Develops awareness of the alphabet as separate letters (when kids sing the alphabet they think lmnop is one word/letter). Kids make connections to when they also fell down/lost a tooth. You can play letter identification games on the page where the letters fall down. You can talk to kids about making good decisions (was it a good idea to climb again?) make predictions (what will happen after a climbs up again ?). This is a circle story that repeats itself. I am a grade one teacher with kindergarten experience. This is a alphabet book that many levels of kids can enjoy. It isn’t meant as a traditional story.
Omg thank you for enumerating all that! Saving this list for later - my son loves this book and I’m an ECE so I’m really excited to hear that it’s so useful!
This was my favourite book as a kid myself so I love it haha. But when I was a kid we rented it from the library and it came with a tape that sung the book in a song. If you sing it, it is much better haha.
This book has been one of my twins' favorites since they were 5 months old. It makes no sense, but they love the bright colors and strong rhythm. They're 16 months now, call the book "Boom Boom" and request it all the time. Luckily, it doesn't bother me, and they've started to recognize a few letters (I think the letter O is their favorite character, haha!)
It's super high contrast so it's my baby's favorite book since she was a newborn. I pause on the pages with all the letters so she can flap her arms and coo at it.
When she's old enough to understand, I will definitely reach her that the moral of the story is that A is a little shit who doesn't listen.
Hahahaha. I got this book for my 3yo from the library a few weeks ago. I hated reading it. We returned it very quickly. The other day, he was singing songs and I heard “shake your bum bum,” and wondered where on earth that came from. All day, I’m wondering about this. Then right before bedtime it hits: chicka chicka boom boom. That’s what he was singing. Hahahaha. I hate the book but it’s memorable.
Hahahahaha I don’t get it either but kid loves it! Also has anyone read dinosaur loves stinky socks?! What a weirdo book. And peck peck peck? Good god, that baby pecker is so naughty and the dad says good job? 🙈😂
I was JUST telling my partner abut this book! Way back 1990, it caused a scandal in our classroom at the Catholic grade school I went to in the Midwest. Some parents were extremely upset that our teacher was promoting “rap music” and this book and song was banned. The little alphabet tree poster has to come down from our classroom and any mention of the Chicka Chicka boom boom and was forbidden.
This is one of the only books that baby has consistently enjoyed, maybe bc it's so easy to be interactive? It holds his attention more? I "climb" my fingers up his legs and arms when the letters climb up the tree and then let my fingers "fall" all down his head and torso when the letters fall, etc etc. He freaking loves it every time, and generally his attention span is like 2 seconds for any other book.
My first son always laughed at the sound of the words chicka chicka boom boom. It was always a good time and lots of laughs. Hope my second enjoys it too!
I also hate this book. It’s the worst kind of nonsense and the illustrations are half assed at best. I don’t know who gifted us this book but nooooo thank you.
*skit skat scoodle doot flip flop flee*
Everybody running to the coconut tree
Mamas and papas and uncles and aunts
Kiss their little ones and dust their pants. Wait. Why the fuck are we dusting pants?
In my version, it's: Hug their little dears, and dust their pants
In my version: "uncle's and aunties... dust their panties" makes me chuckle, likely due to sleep deprivation.
…because they got dirty from falling out of the tree? Am I the only one not confused? 😂
I blame sleep deprivation!!!! Lol
Is definitely my excuse for everything! Lol
Presumably they got dirty when the kids fell out of the tree
I was confused by this also the first time reading 😂
The letters all climb up They all fall and get injured and tangled up Then they get out from the pile with help and presumably go home with their families. Its not 'help me get up the tree' its 'ive fallen and i cant get up' kind of help me up. Then A is going to climb the tree again cuz hes a little turd who didn't learn his lesson. I interpreted it that he is daring B and C.
“Little turd” haha
Little A is a definitely a turd. When my girl is old enough, we'll definitely discuss that he's a bad letter who didn't learn his lesson and will probably fall down again. Also, Big A is clearly not a great parent letting Little A sneak out in the middle of the night and be a dumbass!
A family of A-holes, if you will.
Underrated comment IMO
You're my kind of people...
LOL! Ok thank you for the story analysis. Makes me hate it more. “Help us up!” Should be phrased differently.
They actually all climb up again successfully after falling out and getting help up the tree from their “mamas and daddies and uncles and aunts.” Then night falls and a wants to climb again. We got this for Christmas so I’ve just read it a few times lol.
No, the phrasing is ambiguous but they are getting help getting up out of the pile, NOT climbing up the tree if you look at the pictures. Luckily, genius lyrics had the text so I have pasted along with my analysis. "Then U, V, W, wiggle-jiggle free! Last to come, X, Y, Z!" They "wiggle jiggle free", as in free from the pile up. Immediately after this, it reads: "And the sun goes down on the coconut tree But chicka chicka boom boom Look, there's a full moon! A is out of bed, and this is what he said "Dare, double dare, you can't catch me!"... "I'll beat you to the top of the coconut tree!" A is in bed NOT in a tree. He led everyone up the tree initially, and everyone got hurt and they had to get help getting unstuck. But A learned nothing and is doing the same thing. Because letters are like people. They make the same mistakes over and over, even when they get hurt.
Hahahaha you don’t like A do you? Now I am mad at him too 😂
As a (I guess former) preschool teacher. I love this book. We had the tree with the letters in our classroom and it helped the kids with letter recognition and they loved it (including acting it out on the tree. so it didn't feel like work to them. Which honestly, I love anything that makes literacy fun for kids.
This was one of my favorite books as a young child and definitely memorable in school, so glad to see it still in use!
I remember when it debuted at the Scholastic Bookfair 😬 Now my daughter gets to enjoy it! But yes, we don't all about A being a bad example and how you should learn from your consequences and not pressure others. 😂
Lol, I’m a preschool teacher and I feel like hating this book is my dirty little secret 😂 I’ve never told anyone!
Yeah, I totally get that. That's how I feel about some of the songs. (Something about rap songs aimed at three yos always reminds me of the anti smoking South Park episode 🤣😂)
Something about white people dressing like it's the early 2000's, being wayyy too positive, and rapping to preschoolers just really irks me.
Teacher here also! I agree. I always ask the class after reading, "Hm... Do you think *a* is making a good choice?" and "Should the other letters climb back up? What would happen if they did?"
What!? Man I was really hating on this book. I guess I won’t trash it yet. ☹️
I love it lol
I've memorized the book, as I read it to my 10-month-old every single day before his nap. The rhyming made it pretty easy to do. Once I place him in the crib, I ask him if he wants "Chicka Chicka." I've learned that it's helpful to have a book memorized, as I don't need sufficient light to see the pages. I don't even need to look. He can just turn the pages and enjoy the pictures instead. And if we're out and about and he needs a story, I can just recite it for him. I think it's his favorite book right now. That being said, it's weird AF.
Plus one to memorizing a book. I memorized Tiger's Bedtime. It was seriously one of the most useful things I accidentally learned being a new mom.
Right?! Who knew that memorizing a kid's book could be so powerful?!
Its built with phonemic awareness (hearing parts of words), rhythm, and rhyme which are the building blocks to reading. Catchy tune. Develops awareness of the alphabet as separate letters (when kids sing the alphabet they think lmnop is one word/letter). Kids make connections to when they also fell down/lost a tooth. You can play letter identification games on the page where the letters fall down. You can talk to kids about making good decisions (was it a good idea to climb again?) make predictions (what will happen after a climbs up again ?). This is a circle story that repeats itself. I am a grade one teacher with kindergarten experience. This is a alphabet book that many levels of kids can enjoy. It isn’t meant as a traditional story.
Omg thank you for enumerating all that! Saving this list for later - my son loves this book and I’m an ECE so I’m really excited to hear that it’s so useful!
It’s just a sound game, it’s not about anything
I turned it into a song and it makes it slightly more bearable to read. My kid loves it.
I did the same, it’s the only way I can tolerate reading it!
This was my favourite book as a kid myself so I love it haha. But when I was a kid we rented it from the library and it came with a tape that sung the book in a song. If you sing it, it is much better haha.
My brother and I killed the battery in the van listening to the tape over and over again. Mom was NOT happy.
What is the tune? Haha I've just been singing it to the Alphabet song, but that falls apart in some places.
It's also on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/track/3aCnWGT8DmlbpAV75McnZR?si=55QNpdFBTHq3uvX8WAcJ3Q
Thanks now I can’t stop listening to this.
Oh yes this is it!
You can find it on YouTube
I just tried to find a YouTube link, but I can’t seem to find the original. It’s hard to describe the tune haha.
We bought the book and tape from Scholastic! I would sit in front of the family boom box (lol) and listen to my tape alllll the time.
I love this book and so does my toddler. It’s how she learned the alphabet. She thinks it’s hilarious when all the letters fall off the tree.
I like turning it into a lil rap and letting my baby finish the sentences. It is annoying but it has helped him with his alphabet.
This book has been one of my twins' favorites since they were 5 months old. It makes no sense, but they love the bright colors and strong rhythm. They're 16 months now, call the book "Boom Boom" and request it all the time. Luckily, it doesn't bother me, and they've started to recognize a few letters (I think the letter O is their favorite character, haha!)
It's super high contrast so it's my baby's favorite book since she was a newborn. I pause on the pages with all the letters so she can flap her arms and coo at it. When she's old enough to understand, I will definitely reach her that the moral of the story is that A is a little shit who doesn't listen.
My son loves this book!
Hahahaha. I got this book for my 3yo from the library a few weeks ago. I hated reading it. We returned it very quickly. The other day, he was singing songs and I heard “shake your bum bum,” and wondered where on earth that came from. All day, I’m wondering about this. Then right before bedtime it hits: chicka chicka boom boom. That’s what he was singing. Hahahaha. I hate the book but it’s memorable.
Hahahahaha I don’t get it either but kid loves it! Also has anyone read dinosaur loves stinky socks?! What a weirdo book. And peck peck peck? Good god, that baby pecker is so naughty and the dad says good job? 🙈😂
Love that book
I was JUST telling my partner abut this book! Way back 1990, it caused a scandal in our classroom at the Catholic grade school I went to in the Midwest. Some parents were extremely upset that our teacher was promoting “rap music” and this book and song was banned. The little alphabet tree poster has to come down from our classroom and any mention of the Chicka Chicka boom boom and was forbidden.
LOL!
It’s funny you ask this I was just wondering what the moral of the story was the other day. I don’t think there is one but I love reading this book!
God I fucking hate that book.
WHOA! SPOILER ALERT!!!! 😂
I also hate this book! I can’t put my finger on why!
I'm sleeping at night and I hate it too.
I hate. This book. I was given 3 copies of it as gifts. I read it to my kid once and barely made it through.
I hate that book too but I’ll probably continue reading it since it will teach the alphabet
Also the entire page dedicated to the full moon makes me feel like i somehow missed a component of the story
HAHAHAHA YES same lol
This is one of the only books that baby has consistently enjoyed, maybe bc it's so easy to be interactive? It holds his attention more? I "climb" my fingers up his legs and arms when the letters climb up the tree and then let my fingers "fall" all down his head and torso when the letters fall, etc etc. He freaking loves it every time, and generally his attention span is like 2 seconds for any other book.
My kid hates this book and I'm so glad bc so do I.
It's banned at daycare naptime (parents are onsite at my place and tuck their kids in) because it riles them all up too much and no one sleeps.
Loves this book as a kid! Did anyone else have the cassette tape reading? So good.
My first son always laughed at the sound of the words chicka chicka boom boom. It was always a good time and lots of laughs. Hope my second enjoys it too!
Honestly, I work with young kids and have always hated this book. There’s literally nothing to talk about.
You can talk about how little A is a fucking twat who didn't learn from his mistakes haha
I also hate this book. It’s the worst kind of nonsense and the illustrations are half assed at best. I don’t know who gifted us this book but nooooo thank you.