[I received a review copy from the publisher. No other compensation was received.]

“Have you met the birds that SQUAWK the SQUAWKY talk of the SQUAWKING SQUAWKS? They come in many shapes and sizes…some SQUAWKS even wear disguises.”

Come meet these very cute, very dapper, and very endearing little birds.  The Squawks by Ruth Thorp is beautifully designed, fun to read aloud, and very funny.

Summary:  The squawking squawks are happy party birds that dance and swing and squeal and skip.  They partying into the night and when they’re done most head home, but some stay and play along the telephone wires.

Once they crawl into bed they wake in the morning to a “squirly whirly squawk going wrong.”  Oh, no!  But don’t fret!  After their morning breakfast snack they’re as good a s new and ready for work, play, and birdy exercises.

Their moods appear to be intricately linked to the weather.  Sunny days find them squawking all day long, but bad weather makes them angry.  Their version of Scrabble (Squawkboard) isn’t much better because it makes them squabble.  (I thought it was just my family that got contentious over that game.  Apparently not!)

But for the most part, they’re pretty laid-back birds that get along and fill the world with happy, cheerful songs of cheeps, tweets, squeaks, and squawks.

Such is the life of the squawky squawks.

Who knew squawking along with these snazzy birds could be so much fun?

Why You Should Read The Squawks:

• The illustrations are beautiful, stylish, and expertly done.  They’re clean and simple enough that they’ll inspire even the most drawing-averse kiddo to attempt sketching their own squawk and yet complex enough that youimmediately see Thorp has a trained and professional eye for design.

• The rhythm of the story, which reminds me of Sandra Boynton and Shel Silverstein mixed about, is what impresses me the most.   (Specifically coming to mind is the poem ‘Sick‘ by Silverstein and the book Hippos Go Beserk by Boynton.)

“And whilst they dance, the choral choir will SHOUT and SCREECH for many an hour. Into the night the SQUAWKERS talk, and gape and giggle and gush and gawp…”

• The squawks can be as silly or as dignified as you make them.  So multiple readings can easily be very different readings — keeping it interesting and playful even when you’ve read it to the little ones 6,244 times.

Where to Get it:

• [Affiliate Link] Amazon.com
• [Independent Bookstore] Indiebound.org — ask your local bookseller for it.
• [Library] Worldcat.org — ask your library to order it!
• [Best place to get it] http://www.thesquawks.co.uk/

Author and Illustrator Websites:

• Author/Illustrator:  Ruth Thorp

More Reviews of this Book:

• Being a Mummy
• Red Reading Hub
• The Book Sniffer (has a great interview with Ruth Thorp)
• Picture Books Blogger

Where Obtained:  I received a review copy from the publisher. No other compensation was received.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

FTC Disclosures:  Some of the links in the post above are Amazon affiliate links and others are IndieBound affiliate links. If you click on the link and purchase something, I will receive an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. Which goes to fund my family’s picture book habit.  It’s a vicious cycle, but we manage.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”