The Very Clumsy Click Beetle

Finally, here's a brand-new book in Eric Carle?s extraordinarily popular Very series. And with a new surprise! When a little click beetle falls onto his back, he seeks the help of a wise old click beetle. ?Look at me,? says the more experienced click beetle, giving a loud CLICK and flipping onto its feet. But try as he might, the clumsy little click beetle just can't get the hang of it—or can he? In the tradition of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Carle creates a winning story of perseverance and pride in achievement complete with an ingenious fiber-optic microchip that truly gives voice to the valiant little beetle as it CLICKs its way through the colorful pages and somersaults into your heart.

A clumsy young click beetle learns to land on its feet with encouragement from various animals and a wise old beetle. An electronic chip with a built-in battery creates clicking sounds to accompany the story.

Publishers Weekly

At once stark and sophisticated, Carle's trademark collage art fills the pages of his latest Very volume (The Very Quiet Cricket; The Very Lonely Firefly). The author's opening note explains that the persevering click beetle often lands on its back and is unable to right itself. By stretching, it releases a snap mechanism that makes an audible click and flips the beetle into the air, after which it lands on its feet--sometimes. Coached by a wise old click beetle and encouraged by a string of supportive animals ("Better luck next time.... Keep on trying"), Carle's stylized little beetle repeatedly attempts to maneuver himself off his back and onto his feet. The book's never-give-up message registers loud and clear, unlike the "Click" sound that youngsters may well expect each time this word appears as the beetle hurls himself back into the air. Rather, the computer chip (which has a replaceable battery) activates only once--to emit six clicks, during the beetle's climactic triple-somersault. (But if the reader flips the pages quickly, instead of turning them ceremoniously, unwanted clicks clack out.) Ultimately, the gimmick distracts from the story and does not enhance it. All ages. (Sept.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Children learn about the natural world in Eric Carle's original, charming books, which include classics such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me. Carle's vivid tissue-paper illustrations and innovations in book design have made him an author whose longevity and continued popularity are testaments to his beloved status among young readers and parents.