I Built A Cabin
Written by Sara Jewell, and illustrated by Charlotte Manning.
On the first day in my cabinfar away from the cars and the crowdsat the edge of the woodson the bank of the riverI sat on the front porchto listen to the wind and the wavesand I heard...Chomp chompMunch munchCrack crackKnock knockEager for some peace and quiet, the main character of this tale in verse moves to the woods and builds a little cabin getaway. She’s found the perfect retreat—or so she thinks until she meets her neighbours: an array of loud and lively creatures who crunch and crack and hoot their way into her life.
Young listeners will delight in the animals’ playful antics and learn a bit about life in the wild.
What folks are saying
With the rhythm of an old fashioned singsong this book makes me giggle and want to tap my feet. The playful use of onomatopoeia and the lyrical repetition should capture the interest of any reader. In search of solitude, the author builds a cabin in the woods to escape big city noises but she gradually learns that there is no silence in the woods. She introduces us to her chomping, munching, cracking, tapping neighbours and comes to love and accept being bathed in the sounds of nature at her doorstep. ~ Nancy Rose, author of The Secret Life of Squirrels
Little kids will laugh out loud at this, particularly if the person reading it has fun making all the animal sounds. Budding biologists will appreciate the captivating notes at the end explaining who the animal neighbours are and what they do. ~ Jean Graham, The Northeast Avalon Times
Young readers will enjoy the rhythm of the verse, the bold illustrations, and the antics of the animal characters in this appealing picture book. Classroom Connection: I Built A Cabin provides many opportunities for young readers to practise effective reading strategies such as accessing prior knowledge, making connections, asking questions, making predictions and inferring. Students can also learn more about the animal characters by exploring the nature notes at the end of the book. ~ Brenda Boreham, Canadian Teacher Magazine