Hi. I’m Chook. But that’s not the name my mum and dad gave me. They called me Simon. But once, when I was little, someone called me a chicken.
Then I was a chook.
Then I was just ‘Chook’.
Chook Doolan.
Chook Doolan is a young boy who lives with his family and attends the local primary school. He worries about just about everything. He also notices all the places, all the people, all the happenings in his community. So when he is given a ukelele he’s keen to show busker friend, Eddie Two-hats. But when Chook reaches Eddie’s normal spot in the shopping street, keen to enlist Eddie’s help with ukelele-playing, his friend is not there. Chook knows that Eddie needs to busk to earn money for food, and that someone else will soon take his corner if Eddie doesn’t return. So Chook decides, despite his worries, that he will teach himself to play, and protect Eddie’s corner. Illustrations appear on every opening, with large and hypersize text and short chapters.
‘Chook Doolan’ is a new first chapter book series for young readers transitioning from fully-illustrated texts to chapter books. Chook is an engaging character who pushes through his worries, to help out his friend. He’s an observant, friendly and practical boy with well-developed problem-solving skills. That’s not to say that he is an island. He has a supportive network around him, in friends and family, ready to help as necessary, if necessary. Chook might have worries, he might not be the loudest boy in the world, but he demonstrates clear-thinking, empathy and is wonderfully grounded. Recommended for early-primary readers.
Chook Doolan: the Tiny Guitar , James Roy ill Lucinda Gifford
Walker Books Australia 2016
ISBN: 9781922244963