Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure

Farmer Brown's Barnyard Tales

by Doreen Cronin, Betsy Lewin (Illustrator)

1 farmer sleeping.
2 feet creeping
3 buckets piled high.
4 chickens standing by.

Duck is about to trick poor Farmer Brown once again. While the farmer is sleeping the afternoon away, Duck and the other animals are planning a most unusual fishing trip. Sneaking past Farmer Brown is going to be as easy as 1, 2, 3!

This numerical adventure for the very youngest Duck fans brings counting books to a whole new level -- click, clack, splish, splash!

Genres: Picture Books, Counting, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Mathematics, Number

24 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Doreen Cronin is the author of many bestselling and New York Times bestselling picture books, including Click, Clack, Quack to School!; Click, Clack, Surprise!; Click, Clack, Ho, Ho, Ho; Click, Clack, Peep; Click, Clack, Boo!; Dooby Dooby Moo; Thump, Quack, Moo: A Whacky Adventure; Bounce; Wiggle; Duck for President; Giggle, Giggle, Quack; Bloom; and the Caldecott Honor Book Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type as well as The Chicken Squad series and Cyclone. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Archit]

"9 mice stick a note on the door : Gone Fishing!"

This counting book has humor and sweetness. A little mischievous as well. Contains excessive cuteness.

[Rod Brown]

A counting book that manages to squeeze in an actual story to boot, one that might be pleasing to the PETA crowd.

I do have to take issue with the drawing of buckets stacked for numbers 3 and 4. As drawn . . .

. . . the buckets should be nested within each other instead of magically floating in a pile three buckets high. The bottom bucket would have to be as tall as three normal buckets, and the middle one as tall as two normal buckets to make this arrangement work -- and the middle bucket would be completely unnecessary since it would actually be adding no height, just serving the aesthetic. Alternatively, the buckets would need to be filled with some substance that would stay in place when turned upside down. Concrete would be too heavy for a chicken to lift, and it appears to be summer, so it can't be ice either (which is also damn heavy). But, hey, these farm animals figured out how to type, so I suppose I need to let go of what is just another fantasy element . . .

[Cole]

SPOILERS: don't nap if you're roommates are barn yard animals

[Abigail]

The animals of Farmer Brown's farmyard return in this amusing counting adventure, intent on playing a prank on their human caretaker. With Duck (naturally) leading the way, everyone from the chickens (four of them) to the cows (five in all) get in on the act. In the end, Farmer Brown is confronted with a very fishy surprise...

Like Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack: An Alphabetical Adventure , which featured the farmyard animals from Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type in a more story-centric concept-book than one usually sees, Click, Clack, Splish Splash: A Counting Adventure manages to do something entertaining with its numeric narrative. This isn't "just" a counting book - it tells a story, and an amusing one at that. I wouldn't say it was the equal of some of the more narrative-driven entries in this series, but it will still have appeal. Recommended to fans of the Farmer Brown's Barnyard stories, particularly if they're in the market for a counting book.

[Celia Buell]

Compared to the original, I didn't really get this one. It seemed kind of disjointed and didn't really lead up to the ending in the way that Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type does. The kids enjoyed it, though.

One of my kids at work pointed out that there were five cows in this one, but only three in the original. That's an interesting comparison I never would have thought to make. I wonder where the extra cows came from.

[Jennifer]

Silly counting book in the author's trademark style watches the farm animals counting up to ten and back down again while tricking Farmer Brown. A fun addition to story time.

[Alex Gallaher]

Title: Click, Clack, Splish, Splash: A Counting Adventure
Author: Doreen Cronin
Illustrator: Betsy Lewin
Genre: Counting Book
Theme: Boats, animals
Opening Line:
“1 farmer sleeping.”
Brief Summary:
Click, Clack, Splish, Splash is a counting book that incorporates a farmer and his animals. They go on a mission to return fish in the farmer’s fish tank to the open water.
Review 1:
Hazel Rochman
Booklist, Jan 1, 2006 (Vol. 201, No. 9)
http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...
“From ‘1 farmer sleeping,’ ‘two feet creeping,’ ‘six goats load the boat,’ and so on until ‘10 fish ready to go,’ the cumulative verse and wild, thick-lined cartoon artwork follow the progress of the animals as they ready themselves for a secret fishing expedition.”
Review 2:
Pat Trattles
Children’s Literature
http://www.clcd.com.ezaccess.librarie...
“With Duck as the leader, the barnyard animals embark on a special fishing trip while Farmer naps.”
Response:
I agree with both reviews provided for this book. Rochman points out that a preschooler may need some assistance to understand what is happening in the story. A child may not understand the animals plan to return the fish. Also, Trattles explains how he didn’t understand the story until his daughter showed him. The picture of the farmer sleeping is the only way to determine that the animals are working together without him noticing.
Evaluation:
The book has one big cue in its pictures relating to placement on the page. On the opening page the fish are small and contained in a tank near the bottom of the page showing their containment and lack of freedom. On the last page, the fish are scattered, larger and at the top of the page taking up free space showing just how free they are. The characters in the story are believable, this certainly isn’t the only farmer with animals. It also has a catchy plot in the animals helping other animals, as it explicitly solves the conflict of containment.
Application:
A mini-lesson to tag along with this story could include how to treat a class pet, and students could write about the basic morals for taking care of an animal. To extend the book after read aloud we could consider what the fish may do now that they are free. This could easily be related to other content areas in that it could lead us to a lesson regarding animals and biology, agriculture and how a farm works or as with any counting book we can go towards mathematics.

[SaraLaLa]

From the writers of Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type comes Click, Clack, 123. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a sucker for numbers/counting (anything math related, really) and rhyme. Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin combine these two concepts expertly.

I will admit that I was a bit confused at the end the first time I read this story. At the end, when the farmer wakes up from his nap, he looks at an empty fish tank. It wasn't until my second reading that I noticed that he's napping beside a full fish tank. So, when the animals have "gone fishing," it's really to return the fish back to the lake. I felt a bit dim for not understanding what happened the first time. I'm just explaining it now because it'd be a good thing to point out to a child when you're reading it aloud to them.

[Reader]

Trying to kick start your children's counting skills? The illustrations in this book help connect charters to counting. The setting of this book is on a farm, where the farm animals take the farmers' fish to go fishing! The plot of the book also allows for young readers to stay involved with the book. The style of this book gives many rhyming words to help your child read a little easier. Go boost your children's literacy and math skills all with one book!

[Nancy Kotkin]

Text: 4 stars
Illustrations: 4 stars

Counting picture book that tells a story about farm animals on a rescue mission. Counts forward from 1 to 10, then backward from 10 down to 1. Fun ending. Illustrations add to the humor. Part of Doreen Cronin's farm animal series that also includes Click Clack Moo.

[Savanna Robertson]

This fantasy book gets click clack 5 stars from me! We are introduced to so many fun characters on each page in this cumulative story. The numbers and rhyme scheme make it easy to follow for young readers to introduce them to the genre of fiction, and the resolution is a cause for laughter! Go make sure your pets don’t go fishing!

[Jenna]

Not as good as Click, Clack, Moo, but still entertaining enough. The parents enjoyed the twist at the end.

[Jill]

I like concept books that contain a story as well as the concept. This one is simple, but still mischievous and interesting.

[Jason Choi]

Click Clack Splish splash: A counting adventure is a book written by Doreen Cronin and illustrated by Betsy Lewin. Yet again it explores my central theme of numbers and counting. The book is about a bunch of different animals on a farm house exploiting the fact that the farmer is sound asleep in order to free the 10 fish in the farmer’s fish tank. The book goes through the numbers from one all the way to ten in order using different animals with different numbers from 1 farmer sleeping, all the way up to the 10 fish that the animals are working together to free. The central theme of the book as I stated is numbers and counting and the book does this through the use of the number of animals going from 1 farmer all the way up to the 10 fish. The book also counts down from 10 to 1 as the fish are freed one by one. A secondary reading from weeks 2-5 that I thought of while reading this book was once again the readings on nursery rhymes. This book reminded me of them as it is a rhyme itself with the words at the end of each sentence rhyming with the next.

[Jordan]

Click, Clack, Splish, Splash, is a cute interactive counting story that could be used with anyone who is learning to count. The story only counts from 1 - 10, but I like how it also counts backwards from 10 - 1 at the end. The illustrations look to be done in watercolor, and they cater to a more mature audience. When I think of counting books I think of big block numbers with a distinct amount of counters beside it - this book varies from that. The counters are present and so are the numbers, but they are both displayed in a fun, more interactive fashion.
I really enjoyed this book!

[Holly]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the how the illustrations matched the numbers that we are counting really easily. I also liked that the counting added to the story and it wasn't just about the numbers. This was a fun book with trouble making animals which just make this so fun. It also uses animals and things that most children are familiar with so they can focus on the counting and the storyline. I really liked at the end the the 10 fish where numbered, showing exactly which number the fish were.

[Lexi Radlove]

This book is all about different animals on a farm. this book is intended to help with counting so there are a different amount of animals for each number. As far as the pictures, I wish there was more going on on the pages besides just the white background and the animals. I liked how there was a story to follow that helped keep things interesting. The book not only counted up 1 to 10 but it also decreased 10 back to 1. It was a bit confusing to follow and not a book I plan in the future.

[Joey]

Duck takes us on an interactive counting journey with Farmer Brown's barnyard friends. From the chickens to the cows, this is a fun way to engage young readers into learning how to count. The illustrations are really easy to interpret and enhance student learning by teachers being able to finger count the amount of animals they see. A great read book for students in pre-k to 1st. Recommend also reading Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Typed by Doreen Cronin.

[Tessa]

Having this book in the class library will give students more opportunities to get some practice in with some beginning counting lessons. They could read it with friends, or a partner, or even by themselves. I think everyone would benefit from having this book for various reasons. More practice and helps them stay sharp with past information.

[Nereida Garcia]

I've always loved there book and I enjoy them even more since it teaches how to count. The colors and illustrations of the book make you want to keep reading. The students could count the barn animals in each page.

[Shelby Miller]

I enjoyed that this book provided a storyline along with the counting examples, so it may keep some children more interested to get to the end of the book. It also rhymes, which helps make it interesting and fun.
Topics: counting, colors, rhyming, onomatopoeia, farm animals, pets.

[Miss Sarah]

All the animals on Farmer Brown's farm are packing up and heading somewhere. Where are they going and how are the fish getting there? each page counts up then down again. Simple and easy to follow. pictures add a lot. toddler and up

[Diane Russon]

This book is not the same caliber as her other adorable stories. Though the "Gone Fishing" sign was clever.

For children who would think of copying the crime and releasing aquarium fish in a stream or pond it could be a disaster for the ecosystem.

[Mama Bearian]

While the farmer takes a nap, the farm animals and their ringleader, Duck, sneakily steal the fish out of his fish tank and set them free. As they carry out their plan, the text counts from 1 to 10. It is cute for fans of the series, but definitely not my first choice for a counting book.

[Peacegal]

The fantasy farmyard of CLICK CLACK MOO returns in this funny and simple counting book. The ending has a sweet and unexpected twist that may have Farmer Brown thinking twice about how he houses his pets.

[KelceyTheLibrarian]

Part of my 2022 PopSugar Reading Challenge: A book with an onomatopoeia in its title

This prompt was hard and I have always meant to read one of these anyhow.

Very cute little counting adventure. I wasn't expecting that little twist. It was a fun way to illustrate counting!

[Chris]

A cute concept book. Kids will need sharp eyes or a second reading to pick up on the where the goldfish come from. Either way they will enjoy this.

[Rosa Cline]

Using Farmer Brown and his character animals on his farm from the "Click Clack Moo" books; this one teaches counting up and then back down to 0. All to save the goldfish.

[Ashlin Edmisten]

This is a cute and fun counting book for preschoolers.

[Tracy Schillemore]

There are not a lot of words in this book so it is appropriate for a younger audience. The animals work together to free goldfish from an aquarium. This is a counting book.