Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
![]() Cover featuring the coconut tree | |
Author | Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault |
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Illustrator | Lois Ehlert |
Cover artist | Lois Ehlert |
Language | English |
Series | Chicka Chicka Boom Boom |
Subject | The alphabet |
Genre | Children's picture book |
Publisher | Simon & Schuster |
Publication date | September 14, 1989 |
Publication place | United States |
Pages | 36 |
ISBN | 1-55924-577-8 |
OCLC | 19262991 |
Preceded by | N/A |
Followed by | Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 |
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is an American children's picture book written by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert,[1] and published in hardcover by Simon & Schuster in 1989. The book features anthropomorphized letters and charted on The New York Times Best Seller list for children's books in 2000.[2]
Plot
[edit]The lowercase alphabet climb up a coconut tree in order, but their weight causes the tree to lean over, causing themselves to fall out of the tree. Shortly after, the uppercase alphabet (the older relatives of the lowercase alphabet) comes to rescue them. Again alphabetically, while being rescued, most of the alphabet receive certain injuries. Later that night, the letter "a" gets up and climbs back up the coconut tree, proposing a double dare on the rest of the alphabet to catch him.
Impact
[edit]An audiobook version is also available, narrated by Ray Charles.
A CD-ROM game was released in 1995 by Davidson and Simon & Schuster Interactive.
A 2004 sequel entitled Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Martin and Michael Sampson was inspired by it.[3] A board book for babies and toddlers entitled Chicka, Chicka, ABC was published in 1990, which contains the first half of the original story, and ends up with the whole alphabet causing themselves to fall out of the coconut tree.[4]
Weston Woods Studios made its own animated musical short film adaptation, which was inspired by the original book in 1999, with music composed and performed by Crystal Taliefero.[5]
Album
[edit]Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Other Coconutty Songs | |
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![]() | |
Studio album by | |
Released | 2000 |
Recorded | 1991–1992 |
Genre | Children's music |
Label | Youngheart Records |
Producer | David Plummer & John Archambault |
In 1992, Archambault released an album composed of several songs based on the storybook entitled Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Other Coconutty Songs, along with musician David Plummer. It was named a 1992 "Notable Children's Recording American Library Association and in 1993, won a Parents' Choice Award.[6][7] Its main track was the title song Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which was the book's title.
Track list
[edit]No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" | 2:25 |
2. | "ABC Song" | 0:54 |
3. | "Braggin' Dragon" | 2:20 |
4. | "Helicopter Man" | 2:23 |
5. | "Merry-Go-Round" | 2:36 |
6. | "Didgereedoo" | 3:08 |
7. | "Counting Sheep" | 2:25 |
8. | "B-A-Bay" | 1:51 |
9. | "5 Little Monkeys" | 0:19 |
10. | "Here Comes Another One" | 3:00 |
11. | "Saturday Night At The Fair" | 2:01 |
12. | "Jump Rope Rhymes" | 2:00 |
13. | "Chicka Chicka Funk" | 3:36 |
References
[edit]- ^ "JohnArchambault.com <Books Written with Bill Martin, Jr.>". Archived from the original on 2011-03-09. Retrieved 2011-02-22. John Archambault: Books
- ^ "Best Sellers : December 17, 2000". The New York Times. December 17, 2000. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
- ^ Martin, Bill (2004). Chicka chicka 1, 2, 3 (First ed.). New York, New York: Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-689-85881-7.
- ^ Martin, Bill (1993). Chicka chicka a b c (First Little Simon board book ed.). New York, New York: Little Simon. ISBN 0-671-87893-X.
- ^ Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (2002), retrieved 2022-08-11
- ^ "For Halloween, learning about skeletons, and some tips on the art of the pumpkin". The Sun – Baltimore, Md. Oct 14, 1994. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
- ^ "Notable children's recording". Emergency Librarian. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013. Retrieved 1 March 2013.