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The Wicked Big Toddlah
by
Kevin Hawkes
Absolutely nothing exciting happens in Maine . . . nothing, that is, except for the birth of one giant baby. "That's one wicked big toddlah you got there!" exclaims Uncle Bert . . . and so Toddie is named.Toddie's a baby just like any other . . . sort of. The thing is, he's big—really big. That means really big diapers, really big teeth, really big everything. From new boo...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
June 12th 2007
by Knopf Books for Young Readers
(first published 2007)
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“The Wicked Big Toddlah,” now appearing in a sequel, “The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York,” would make a great shower gift for expectant parents. It’s clear from the moment of his arrival by over-burdened stork that gigantic Toddie is no ordinary baby. In fact, he must be hauled home on the back of a flatbed “lumbah” truck.
Toddie requires a helicopter, a hazmat team, and a crane at diaper-changing time, and a fleet of lobstah boats to entertain him in the bath. His first taste of ice cream...more
Toddie requires a helicopter, a hazmat team, and a crane at diaper-changing time, and a fleet of lobstah boats to entertain him in the bath. His first taste of ice cream...more
If you are not from Maine you will be quickly introduced to the phonetic pronunciation of certain words"Downeast" and that's part of this wicked big books charm! Toddie IS a wicked BIG Toddlah. Nearly 60 foot tall and must be cared for in the most ingenious ways. Jimmie knits him a hat and bootiesand ends up with her aged Hans bandaged. Uncle Bert makes him a cradle that could hold a football team, and changing his diaper taks the local crane, with men in hazmat suits!
Toddie taks baths in the ba...more
Toddie taks baths in the ba...more
The Wicked Big Toddlah by Kevin Hawkes is a gorgeously illustrated laugh-out-loud vision of a giant toddler called, unsurprisingly, Toddie. The text is simple but vividly evokes the images fulfilled by the illustrations. Imagine the cradle. Imagine the diapers! Imagine what the first solids might be. This book is as satisfying for an adult as for a small child who gets to feel massively clever and superior to giant Toddie (and Toddie's grown-ups).
This is a very cute story about a gigantic baby. I love the Maine accents and the details about New England. Having grown up with a similar Massachusetts accent, I only lost it after years of living in other places around the world. But it's still easy for me to slip back into the local dialect. Our girls haven't been exposed to it very much, just during our short visits home. They don't quite get the charm of it all, but we all still enjoyed reading the story together.
Let's go have an adventure. On our boat, we're going to have six tangerines. (Typist's note: This may have been influenced by My Father's Dragon.)
Okay, we're going. Zoom Zoom. Swoosh. Primrooooose! Hackateer. Woo-hoo-woo-hoo-woo! Banggggggg. Do you know what that is? The toddler! Boom boom crash. Go go go. Back through the woods. Zoom zoom. Out of the book, into the computer. Hide inside the carpets! Climb up the bookstand! Into the class.
Chapter Two: The Monster.
Bang. Something when. The whole...more
Okay, we're going. Zoom Zoom. Swoosh. Primrooooose! Hackateer. Woo-hoo-woo-hoo-woo! Banggggggg. Do you know what that is? The toddler! Boom boom crash. Go go go. Back through the woods. Zoom zoom. Out of the book, into the computer. Hide inside the carpets! Climb up the bookstand! Into the class.
Chapter Two: The Monster.
Bang. Something when. The whole...more
Hilarious! One of the best read alouds for elementary kids that I've seen in a long time. I'm sure my Bah-stahn accent is terrible, but it's fun to do, nonetheless. The sequel is just as funny, and my kids (from South Carolina) come into the library asking for them with a northeastern accent, which just cracks me up!
Mar 14, 2013
Bunnyjadwiga
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
parents of toddlers who want humor
Shelves:
beekman
Adorable 'giant baby' tale with a Maine twist. Like all the Giant-Baby genre, it's important not to worry about practicality, but the humor of the situations as Toddie grows from infant to toddler and enjoys the passing seasons and his family will amuse adults and toddlers alike.
My daughters mini review: "This large young boy (who is enormous in comparison to his parents) travels to New York."
My own: Some books are a hit, some are a miss. This one was a miss. Can't describe exactly why other than I just found the premise of the story kind of stupid.
My own: Some books are a hit, some are a miss. This one was a miss. Can't describe exactly why other than I just found the premise of the story kind of stupid.
I met the author a few years ago when he came to my school for an author visit. Charlie pulled it out tonight and Sylvia and I read it and had some good laughs. Got to love the Maine-isms. :) Made us laugh since Charlie is "wicked big" and a "toddler".
We laughed and laughed reading this book. We loved the New England accents and the super silly pictures that complemented the unusual lifestyle of this story's toddlah and his family.
This is a pretty standard kids' book, not much new here. So why'd I give it four stars? It has a wicked good title and it's really fun to read in your thickest Maine accent. Ayuh!
I've never been to Maine (or New England, for that matter) but this book got me laughing. It was hysterical! My girls love it!
So silly! 2 yr old Michael burst out laughing when he saw the cover--my favorite part was the toddlah's own life-size teddy bear.
I admit I picked it up mainly because of the name (Todd). Cute illustrations, cute story about a giant baby.
This makes me remember Maine and laugh at the accent and I know the author.
Isabelle went nuts for this book on our trip to Maine
This book is worth reading just for the Maine-isms.
Nov 24, 2012
Magican Reirei
marked it as to-read
The Wicked Big Toddlah Goes to New York
Baby book of the month club - Mateo.
Very different book ... not a fan!
Move over Paul Bunyan!
3.5/5 stars
Give this book to every expectant parent you know! "Toddie" is just like every other baby...stinky diapers, teething, first steps, the whole thing...he's just BIGGER. This book is a gentle poke at all of us parents who think our baby chores are bigger than everyone else's; Hawkes does a wonderful job at reminding us that no matter how huge that dirty diaper seems, there's a REALLY cute baby at "end" of it ;)
Recommended by Susan! Read this last night with Lily D., who has a new toddler in the family, and she pointed out, "You know, without the pictures making jokes, this would be a regular baby story." But giant Toddie is no regular baby. Enjoyed the Maine accent and visual jokes throughout. Would be good paired with The Bunyans by Audrey Wood.
The Wicked Big Toddlah was born in- where else? Maine. He plays with real boats in the bath, and generally acts like all toddlers, except for the fact that he is ginormous.
Fun pictures that make the story worthwhile.
Fun pictures that make the story worthwhile.
This picture book is a good one! I just hear accents from the Northeast as I read this one. This story is set in Maine and is about a giant toddler. Even though he is "wicked big" the family still loves him, even at diaper time.
Literally a "tall tale". This is a one joke book--just endless scenes of life with a Paul Bunyan like baby.
But the pictures ARE funny--especially the diaper change scene with the folks in hazmat suits!
But the pictures ARE funny--especially the diaper change scene with the folks in hazmat suits!
I "read" this book on vacation -- okay it's a children's book and took about 5 minutes to read. But the illustrations are wonderful. We brought it home from Maine.
brilliant. loved it. everything is larger than lfie in this depiction of how a baby rules a family upon their arrival. maine regionalisms.
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Kevin Hawkes is the illustrator of over 35 acclaimed picture books and chapter books including Library Lion, The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, Weslandia, and Sidewalk Circus. His vibrant colors, unusual perspectives, an dry sense of humor are hallmarks of his work. He lives with his charming wife and children in Southern Maine where he is often found wandering aimlessly in his garden. When for...more
More about Kevin Hawkes...
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