The Little Crooked House

by Margaret Wild, Jonathan Bentley

There was a crooked man who lived with a crooked cat and a crooked mouse all together in a little crooked house. Their happy existence is unsettled by a noisy train that passes close by each day, shaking the house and its inhabitants: "Shucka-shucka, shucka-shucka, shucka-shucka!" Literally refusing to stand still for this, the crooked house does the unthinkable! This charming picture book, with its whimsical image of a moving house and the repeated refrain of "Yippee-yi-yay!," encourages young readers to interact. Jonathan Bentley's vibrant watercolor illustrations add to the fun.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Juvenile, Humor, Fantasy, Cats

40 pages, Hardcover

First published August 22, 2005

About the author

Margaret Wild is one of Australia's most highly respected picture-book creators whose award-winning children's books are loved by children all over the world. Margaret has published over seventy picture books for young children and she has been the recipient of the Nan Chauncy Award and the Lady Cutler Award for her contributions to Australian children's literature.

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

For this review and to learn more about Margaret Wild please visit www.readrantrockandroll.com

The Little Crooked House by Margaret Wild is a story about a crooked man and his crooked cat with a crooked mouse all living in a little crooked house. Living next to a railroad, their house is shaken badly every time the train comes by.

"One of these days we'll be shaken to bits. We have to move."

The little crooked house takes them on a journey to different areas in hopes of finding the perfect place to settle down. Will they find it? Follow along in the story to learn what happens to the little crooked house and its inhabitants.
I loved the story which reminds me of the old nursery rhyme There was a Crooked Man. The illustrations are enjoyable and it has a great ending.

4****

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A smash-up on a favorite nursery rhyme that involves the Little Crooked House, that the crooked man, and his crooked companions lived in. The Little Crooked House keeps changing its location trying to find the perfect spot to settle on, and stay put.

[Lauren Roennfeldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor representation of the current housing market.

[Megan McKenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal reaction: Such a cute book about a spritely old man and his cat who go on an adventure with their home. The old man singing "yippee-ti-yay!" will have students repeating the phrase for days!

Purpose: This would be an excellent read aloud book for first or second graders. Before beginning the story, ask the children what they think crooked means, and to see if their predictions are true as the story is told. Some vocabulary included in the book are "sixpence, stile,roaring, burrows" There are a combination of both simple and complex sentences in the story. While there is only one man and his cat in the story, the house becomes sort of a character as well. This introduces personification to students who will enjoy this story.

[Erin Buhr · Rating 4 out of 5]

This playful book tells the classic creaky house nursery rhyme with a new twist. What would happen if the crooked man and his little crooked house decide to move to a new place? Apparently they would have quite the adventure. Full of the kind of absurd ideas that tickle the funny bone of the little and watercolor illustrations that seem to dance across the page, this would be a wonderful read aloud for any young group.

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

A crooked man lived in a crooked house with a crooked cat and a crooked mouse. They lived next to a train track so they all moved to the desert (house too). Perfect! Until sand piled up because of the wind. They moved to a wide river. Perfect! Until the river got full. They moved to a city where the little crooked house landed between two big houses. Perfect!

[The Brothers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute story with crooked characters trying to find a pleasant place to live. One place is too loud with the train right by, another too windy, another too wet... But finally a perfect location is discovered.

While the story is a bit repetitive, the illustrations more than make up for it!

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

PB #43: I enjoyed this picturebook because of the predictable flow of the text and the pattern the author used. This is a good one for younger kids to draw them in and keep their attention while the concept of the story is fun! The illustrations are a great addition to the picturebook as well.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

So whatever happened to the little crooked man who lived in a little crooked house? Read this book and you'll find out. The story itself is fun and quirky, and is saved from being creepy by the exuberant artwork.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This charming book begins with the nursery rhyme, "Once there was a crooked man" and then takes it from there on a rollicking adventure. There are different repetitions which are great for read aloud. Ultimately, the crooked house finds a place to fit in. Nice book!

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fractured twist of a well-known children's rhyme. Follow along as the Crooked man in the Crooked House, with his Crooked cat, and his Crooked mouse, try their best to find a place where they fit in.

[Vandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

cumulatiive...app for preschoolers

[Geni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun...Repetition

[Dannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Repetition aids in speech dev. And the kids definitely learned what the word "crooked" means! Cute illustrations.