Crackerjack Jack

by Bowman Wilker, Marie-Eve Tremblay (Illustrator)

Overview

This is a book about a robber—a wisecracker, firecracker, knucklecracking crook named Jack. Jack devises a ploy to rob a bank, with a duck as his unlikely accomplice. This villainous duo bumbles their way through a robbery, in which Jack ends up knocked unconscious, arrested for the crime, and thrown in jail. Meanwhile, the duck makes off like a bandit, escaping with all the dough to live a life of luxury in the tropics.



Rhyming text, onomatopoeia, and an energetic beat paired with comical illustrations make this a fast-paced read that guarantees laughs. The playful language will entice young readers to follow along and repeat sounds and phrases in this outrageous and unapologetically reckless tale.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771472449
Publisher:	Owlkids Books
Publication date:	03/15/2018
Pages:	24
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

BOWMAN WILKER is an elementary school teacher and children's poet who lives in Ottawa, Ontario. His poems have been featured in children's magazines in Canada, Ireland and the United States. Bowman currently has no duck associates, but owns several boxes of soda crackers. Crackerjack Jack is his first picture book.

MARIE-EVE TREMBLAY is a travel junkie who finds inspiration in her trips abroad, be it from nature or situations in everyday life. Her take on the world is full of affection and humor, and her images are set apart by their warm tones, curious candor, and gentle whimsy. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

Editorial Reviews

"The fast pace and onomatopoeia will keep plenty of young readers on the hook, and ethically questionable as the episode may be, just listening to its rollicking rhyme will crack more than a few grins."

Booklist

"This book is a hilarious slapstick story, great for read-alouds. There’s repetition, rhyme, and wacky, bright illustrations that make this playful book perfect for pre-readers and beginning reader."

Mom Read It

Crackerjack Jack is a fun and entertaining book that will keep readers of all ages amused!

Canadian Review of Materials

"The fast pace and onomatopoeia will keep plenty of young readers on the hook, and ethically questionable as the episode may be, just listening to its rollicking rhyme will crack more than a few grins."

Booklist

03/01/2018
K-Gr 2—Jack is an expert thief, but when he uncovers a safe he can't crack, he smuggles in a cracker-loving duck to blow up the safe for him. Duck manages to open the safe, but Jack ends up with more than he bargained for. This book is short and simple with a pretty silly conceit to drive it, but the rhyming meter is a bit all over the place; it feels like an old jump rope rhyme that has to frantically pick up the tempo in parts to get to the next stanza. This gives the words a fun energy, but fledgling readers will be tripping over themselves due to that choice. Tremblay's illustrations are bright and colorful; cartoonish characters with minimal background give the piece a Bob Staake-feel. VERDICT A fun addition for larger collections.—Peter Blenski, Greenfield Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

★ 2018-01-13
A practiced thief takes an unusual approach to stealing a treasure, with unexpected results.Wilker's language crackles and snaps in this brief but hilarious rhyming tale of a bank heist gone awry. Jack ("wisecracker, firecracker, knucklecracking crook") is a safecracker with his eye on a particularly difficult safe "no other nut could crack." Readers will notice that Jack's plan begins before the title page, with Jack setting out a trail of crackers for a mallard drake. Jack's plan? He trains the duck in the lighting of firecrackers and then smuggles it, concealed in a sack along with a supply of firecrackers, into the vault as a bank deposit. When the door blows off that night, however, Jack is knocked out—and nabbed for the crime—while the wily duck goes free to plan another caper: a satisfying comeuppance for such nervy, bad behavior on Jack's part. Tremblay's cartoon art is big and bold, filled with color and pattern, her characters a wonderfully goofy accompaniment to the text. Jack has light brown hair and lighter skin and wears a black burglar's mask, his eyes big and round (as are the duck's), like wheels with their center black dot for a pupil. The font is large and clear; great for early readers who will find the memorable rhymes easy to spot on the page.A blast. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews

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