Review - Fix That Clock

Fix That Clock
by Kurt Cyrus
Date: 2019
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

A construction crew rebuilds a rickety old clock tower that has become home to wild animals in this picture book for fans of Sheep in a Jeep and Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site.

An underlying message of cooperation and conservation drives this rollicking introduction to counting and shapes.

The old clock tower used to stand tall and proud. Now, it's rusty, dusty, moldy, musty. A construction team decides to turn zigzags into squares and get the clock chiming again. But wait: what will happen to all the animals who have made this dilapidated clock their home?

Nothing can't be fixed and everyone is welcome in Fix That Clock, a celebration of hard work, compassion, and collaboration.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Fix That Clock is a really fun little book. It incorporates rhymes, numbers, shapes, and onomatopoeia to create a cute story about the repair of a decrepit clock tower.

The old clock tower is falling apart. So three builders come along to fix it. As they repair and replace, they dislodge a number of critters that have made their homes in the tower. But these are kindhearted folks, and they take the animals into account when they finish the job. The book ends on a sweet note.

The meter of the rhyming text is pretty strong. There are sections where onomatopoeia is incorporated into the text, which would make it a treat to read aloud. The illustrations are lovely and full of detail. I really liked seeing all the little animals as a reminder that the humans were, essentially, disrupting a habitat; I liked seeing a compassionate resolution to this issue even more.

Overall, this is a fun book that would appeal to kids who like rhyming picture books, books about building, or books about animal habitats.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 5/5

Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall: 4.43 out of 5