Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair

by Patricia Polacco

A humorous parable about the dangers of too much television brings readers to the town of Triple Creek, where residents watch TV day and night, until eccentric Aunt Chip arrives and decides to pull the plug on everybody in favor of introducing books.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Books About Books, Fantasy, Tv, Historical Fiction

40 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 1996

About the author

Patricia Polacco is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator with around seventy beloved and award-winning books to her credit, including The Keeping Quilt, Pink and Say, The Blessing Cup, Chicken Sunday, and Thank You, Mr. Falker. She resides in Michigan.

Reviews

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is hilarious. I seem to most enjoy Polacco’s serious books, but here’s an amusing one I really adore. It’s also bound to be touching to those of us who love books and love to read; it’s a love letter to reading & books & to librarians too.

So much is very, very funny and clever here; I won’t give any spoilers even though there were so many portions of this story I was tempted to quote. This story is about a town where the people constantly watch tv, where they’ve found all sorts of uses for books, but none of them include reading.

I love Aunt Chip’s many cats. I enjoy Polacco’s illustrations of cats, and in this book I got to see a lot of them. All of the illustrations are outstanding: there’s so much detail and color. This book’s illustrations are especially fine examples of Polacco’s artwork. I loved the wall made of books. Polacco even found a way to include illustrations of her beloved goats, even though they don’t appear directly in this story.

Here, first the librarian is the heroine of the story, and then the town’s children get to be heroes and heroines too.

Polacco dedicates this book “to stubborn librarians everywhere” and also to two educators (one is her mother) and one great kid. I think photos of the three of them are included in second to last illustration of the book.

This would make a great gift for any bibliophile and any child.

I’m thinking that either Polacco isn’t a huge fan of television or she knows children who watch too many tv shows.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart when we finished reading this in storytime.....

One girl said to me that she thought I would be just like Aunt Chip and stand in the way of our library getting teared down.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the rest of the residents of the town of Triple Creek had little use for eccentric hermit Charlotte Huck (named in honor of real-life librarian and author, Charlotte S. Huck), Eli loved his "Aunt Chip," and visited her regularly. Having taken to her bed years before in protest, declaring that "there would be consequences" to the town's decision to tear down the library, in order to construct a massive TV tower, Aunt Chip lived a quiet life with her (adorable!) cats. But when she discovered that the "consequences" included an entire generation of children growing up without the ability to read, she decided that, in this case, discretion was NOT the better part of valor, and set out to do something about it...

Having been raised in a home that, for many years, had no television - a conscious choice on the part of my parents, made in order to encourage me and my sisters to become readers, and to play more outdoors - I am greatly in sympathy with Patricia Polacco's point, in Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair, that too much television does indeed bring consequences - of the negative sort. I appreciated the fact that television didn't need to be "done away with" entirely, once the residents of Triple Creek realized how foolish they had been to abandon reading, but was henceforth (as should everything else be) consumed in moderation. Definitely a book to spark discussion, with younger readers, about the importance of books, and the library!

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

While somewhat preachy about the ubiquitous nature of television and the lack of interest in books, we found this to be a quite humorous and sobering story about the wonders of libraries and the importance of reading. We love Patricia Polacco's books and I love any book that praises reading and libraries, so this was sure to be a hit.

I'm always telling our girls that "TV melts your brain" and insisting that we keep the boobtube off as much as possible, so this is a great book for helping make my case. We really enjoyed reading this book and will certainly look for more books by Ms. Polacco at our local library.

[Luann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any book dedicated "to stubborn librarians everywhere" automatically rates five stars in my book! Although I would have given this book five stars even without the dedication!

Triple Creek is a town that loves to watch TV. They even have pictures of their TV sets on their mantels. Eli's Aunt Charlotte doesn't have a TV in her house. She took to her bed 50 years earlier and has vowed never to leave it. She decides it is time to get up, though, when she learns that Eli doesn't know that stories come from books or even what reading is.

While I'm all for more reading and less TV, I'm glad that Polacco mentions keeping a balance. My favorite line is: "Understand, folks still had their TV's, all right, but they were wise about what they watched and for how long. They had so much else to do!"

[Linda Lipko · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Eli's Aunt Chip took to her bed, she vowed never to come out. Living in a town of people who watched TV day and night, few could read.

Knowing there would be a consequence of constant tv watching, Aunt Chip gave up! When Eli confessed he did not know how to read, she came out of bed and began a quest to teach the children of the TV obsessed town how to read.

When a book was taken from the dam that was contained by all the books never read, the town was flooded.

A blessing in disguise, the town's people rebuilt, turned off the tv and learned to read.

[The Reading Countess · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amusing tale about the wonders of a library and the hidden dangers of the "boob tube" told as only Patricia Polacco can do.

[Jodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t normally keep record of picture books, but I have recently been reading some of Patricia Polacco’s book with Jude, and they always touch my heart. She is such an amazing children’s author! I cry while reading most of them at how genuine she is.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating: 2.5

I don't care for tall tales (not as a child nor as an adult), so this didn't strike a chord with me ... even though the emphasis is on books and reading.

It's painful to read about books getting soaked, and raining books is too absurd.

I'm not going to keep this book.

[Laurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Booklist Vol. 92, No. 16 (April 15, 1996)
Ages 5-8. Aunt Chip took to her bed 50 years ago when the big television tower came to town and the library closed. She knew there would be consequences, and there were--everyone stopped reading, and now they don't remember how. When Aunt Chip learns that, she gets out of bed and begins teaching the children to read. Soon the kids love reading so much they're taking books out of potholes and sagging buildings, where the books have been doing infrastructure duty. Eventually, the TV tower falls down, at first angering the adults and then causing them to read. Reading reigns, and Aunt Chip goes back to her job of decades ago, town librarian. Naturally, this subject is near and dear to every librarian's heart, but Polacco's treatment of it borders on the didactic. Still, since books and reading are always in competition with television viewing, maybe a little didacticism doesn't hurt. Polacco's signature-style artwork, a bit more freewheeling than usual, has fun with the fantasy elements of the story. Not top-of-the-line Polacco, but libraries will probably want to buy this for the message.

Horn Book Guide September, 1996
Polacco's parable, about the hazards of watching too much television at the expense of libraries and books, is more didactic than entertaining. She illustrates the story with her characteristic exuberant paintings.

School Library Journal May 1996
PreS-Gr 4--A cautionary tale that will appeal to anyone who believes in the power and magic of books. When the town of Triple Creek first built a huge TV tower, Aunt Chip took to her bed, promising, "there will be consequences." Now, 50 years later, the townspeople are so obsessed with their televisions that they are oblivious to everything else. Of course, people still "use" books-as furniture, to fix crumbling walls, to patch up tattered roofs-but no one knows how to read. Finally, Aunt Chip, who used to be the town librarian, pops out of bed to do something about it. Beginning with her nephew, Eli, she teaches the children to read. Hungry for books, they take them from wherever they can be found. When Eli and his friends pluck a copy of Moby Dick from the dam, they unleash a wall of water that destroys the TV tower and changes the future of the town. A master storyteller, Polacco flavors this modern fable with the language and cadence of a traditional tall tale. Filled with amusing details, interesting characters, and unexpected twists, this enjoyable story clearly makes its point without seeming heavy-handed. In perfect harmony with the text, the illustrations add dimension and resonance to the words. Enslaved by TV, Triple Creek is colored in dismal grays and imprisoned by imposing power lines. Afterwards, the town is blooming, bustling, and brightly colored. Watch out. Polacco's passion for books and reading is contagious.--Joy Fleishhacker, New York Public Library

[Shannon Connors · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew up hearing the tales inspired by Patricia Polacco's childhood while viewing the whimsical illustrations of soon-familiar characters. The text of each book sucked me in as did the colorful, detailed pictures. Reading "Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair" as an adult produced a similar reaction.

Polacco crafts a humorous yet poignant story of a town void of books and instead obsessed with television. All the residents of Triple Creek watch television day in and day out. All the residents, that is, except quirky old Aunt Chip, whose continual warnings of "consequences" finally come true. The incessant television watching eventually (after fifty years) leads to no one being able to read. In fact, no one even knows what reading is! Books are used to prop up buildings and form a dam to keep water out of the town. All of this changes one day when Aunt Chip's young nephew Eli innocently questions where her fabulous stories came from. Shocked by Eli's lack of knowledge of books and reading, she shows him the site of the town's former library. Eli begs her to teach him to read, and she happily obliges. Soon, Eli has all the children in the village reading. Things begin to change when Eli's desire for a specific book leads to one hilarious mishap after another, opening the eyes of the adults at last to the world of books.

This book is a must-read for adults and children alike. The use of capital letters in dialogue along with vivid adjectives and adverbs makes for an easy and expressive read aloud possibility. Characters are depicted with humor in both the text and the illustrations. Dialogue is written in the characters' dialect, making them that much more realistic. The themes in the book are eerily reminiscent of today's age of technology. Children will enjoy the familiar illustrations, lively characters, and funny anecdotes, while the hearts of adults will be warmed by the story of Eli and how a small child empowered a town. The book is a perfect read-aloud text, for the classroom, bedtime, or anywhere else books are loved.

[Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair is a story about a town called Triple creek where everyone was glued to their television sets, well everyone except Aunt Charlotte, AKA Aunt Chip. The story is told by Aunt chips nephew Eli. Eli loved his Aunt Chip because every time the two visited Aunt Chip told him wonderful stories. One day Eli finally asked his aunt where she gets her stories and she responds "Some come out of thin air, my dreams, and some right out of books." Eli then confesses to his aunt he doesn't know how to read Aunt Chip makes it her mission to teach the TV obsessed children how to read. After learning from his Aunt, Eli began to obsesses over reading and his classmates took to noticing, soon the reading fever spread. Only one problem there wasn't enough books to read, all the unread books where scattered about the town. Some books were even used as a dam, but the children didn't know that.

This book stole my heart within the first few pages,I'm what you would call a book worm. I'm the type of person who will sit through a movie with my face in the book rather than actually watch it. A book about less tv and more reading automatically hits home. Although this topic is a controversial one Polacco manages to add some great humor through the character Aunt Chip, portraying her as the crazy old lady who stands up for the library. And you can't forget that Polacco built damn out of books, pretty clever if you ask me. The pictures throughout guide readers to put faces to the characters and consume the majority of the pages. The realistic water-colored illustrations enhance the comedy and message behind the story. Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair is a playful story to show the importance of reading.

[Susanna Hargreaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Books are a treasure.” This is a wonderful story about the consequences of tv and how an old beloved eccentric aunt inspired the town children to read again. I loved this book and the message it shares on the importance of books and the library.

[Kimberly Parrott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a cute and fun way to show children and even adults the importance of reading! In a small Michigan town where the townspeople have forgotten books and replaced it with television sets, an old woman who was the former librarian laid in bed upset at the destruction of her library. For fifty years, she never got up, never went out, only talked to her young nephew until one day he got curious when she mentioned books. He didn't know what books were or even how to read! Aunt Chip had warned the town of the consequences of getting rid of the books and now she had to see for herself. Appalled by the towns condition, she went back to her bed and taught a curious Eli how to read. Eventually, the kids of the town were captivated by Eli's reading and asked to be taught. Aunt Chip gladly taught all the children until one day Eli took the book "Moby Dick" from the dam of books holding back the water. Not knowing what would happen, the dam burst and sent all the books flying into the air and the water knocked the TV tower out. Upset townspeople came out of their houses outraged and confused and Eli and Aunt Chip explained to them the consequences they were all facing. Just then, books fell from the sky as a sign to the people to read again. However, they did not know how. The children offered their parents, grandparents and siblings how to read and eventually, they all rebuilt the town and lessened their TV watching. The town flourished all thanks to reading.

This book held a very powerful message and should be shared everywhere! I would definitely recommend it to any parent, teacher or child out there!

[Ashley Stone]

When television sets were introduced to Triple Creek the libraries and schools were shut down. Books weren’t needed anymore. That’s when Aunt Chip locked herself away in her bedroom. She knew nothing good was going to come from the televisions taking the place of books. One day, her nephew, Eli, got her out of her house and she was distressed by the sights she saw. Not one book was to be seen in the town. She told the story to Eli and he decided he wanted to learn to read so she taught him how and then the other kids caught on. She taught everyone to read until the book dam broke and caused a flood in the town of Triple Creek. All of the authorities were furious that the books had been removed and that people were starting to read again. But Aunt Chip took care of them and books were brought back into everyday life in Triple Creek. This book makes a very good point. I don’t want to call it a “futuresque” book because I think we’d have gotten there by now since the television was invented a while ago but there are too many things replacing books in this day and age and I like that attention is drawn to that in this book. Kids need to know that books are important and that T.V. may be easy entertainment but without books there’s an extreme lack of imagination. There are a lot of words in this book so I would say it should be used in upper primary grades.

[Erika Barrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book became one of my favorite childrens books in about 2 pages. the illustrations are beautiful and interesting, and there are so many thought-provoking and conversation-starting themes in it. in triple creek, they're all fascinated by their tvs... and use books as footstools and doorsteps etc, no one knows how to read anymore. even the school has tvs as teachers. eli listens to stories from his aunt chip when he's not watching tv, and one day asks, "where do your stories come from?" aunt chip says, "well some of them ive heard before, some i make up, some are from my dreams, and some i take straight from books!" and eli replies, "how would you get a story to come out of a book?" when aunt chip realizes eli has no idea what reading is, she comes out of her bedroom for the first time in 50 years, teaches him to read, and the story progresses in amazing fashion from there. if you read books to kids, or if you read kids books as an adult, read this book. it made my day.
i did wonder at some point if reading it to myself would be less enjoyable. because part of the reason this book made me so happy was that the kids i read it to are becoming infatuated with the computer, and so the storyline pertained to them. it would probably be just as heart-warming to me without the kids around, but - the fact that they were there hearing it doubled my excitement.

[Nina Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book!! It was such a fun and informative read. Eli is a young boy who lives in the small town of Triple Creek. Everyone is absolutely OBSESSED with their television sets....sound familiar? Just like Eli, his friends all just watch T.V. with their familes and do not ejoy the luxury of being a kid and playing outside just having fun with their friends. Everyday Eli visits his Aunt Chip whom he loves dearly. She tells him stories of the past, some true some not exactly, but stories none the less. Eli is intrigued by the fact that his Chip can actually read! He has never even done that before! In this heart warming read, Aunt Chip is out on a mission to help save the town of Triple Creek from having these awful consequences of not being able to read be a permanent problem. Honestly kids now a days need to understand that reading has such an impact on not only them, but their families and communities as well. Yes T.V. is fun to watch but so is exploring the world of adventure and mystery through books and novels. This book is a very easy read and had fun illustrations that really brought the book to life. This book did an extraordinary job of portraying that idea to kids! I had an "Aunt Chip" myself growing up and I could never thank her enough for encouraging my desire to read and expand my knowledge.

[Nikkibr89 · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair’ is a story about a town who becomes too engrossed with television. They do nothing else but watch TV and obsess over it, except for Eli’s Aunt Chip who refuses to leave her bed and doesn’t own a television set. Eli loves her very much and visits her daily to hear her stories. He is fascinated that she gets her stories from books and is eager to learn about them. Soon he becomes the star of the town among the children who all want to learn as well. They pick up the books that have been discarded around the town and used for maintenance purposes, Eli himself pulls a watery edition of Moby Dick from a wall and finds that it was being used as a dam. This caused a wall of water to descend upon the town and wipe out the TV tower. The adults found out what had happened and were moved by the interest for books shown by the children. They then worked to learn to read, set up a proper school and brought Aunt Chip back to be their proper librarian.
As kids today can become too absorbed with TV and technology this book is a wonderful example to show them of an extreme situation of the consequences that happen when books are ignored and not utilized.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

3/25/11 ** Aunt Chip hasn't gotten out of bed in the memory of the narrator. He describes a world where books are used as doorstops and to shore up the town dam. School is taught by televisions and the adults plan their day according to the television shows. Of course the book has a happy ending with the kids learning to read from Aunt Chip and then teaching their parents to read. While the story is a rather heavy-handed treatment of the perils of television, I can't resist the message.
I unexpectedly had time to kill on Friday (the last day before spring break) - 1/3 of my class went to the mobile dentist right before I'd planned to give the spelling test. My Polacco books were all out, preparatory to taking them home, so I grabbed this one to read aloud. I had a great time making the voice of Aunt Chip old, quavery, and very southern. My fourth graders seemed to enjoy that very different voice as well.
Many of the kids really got into it. There were predictions and comments popping up all over the room. I even had several kids say out loud that reading was way better than T.V. Yes!!

[Victoria Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair is a great story about a little boy named Eli who has a desire to read in a town that has been taken over by TV. Everyday Eli visits his Aunt Chip, who used to be the town librarian, and she teaches Eli to read. When the other children in town learn of Eli's special talent, they too want to learn to read. One day Eli takes a book from a pile of books that act as the town dam. When Eli takes the book it causes the dam to come crashing down and the whole town is flooded. Everyone is mad because their TV's no longer work. When the town realizes that the children have been learning to read they are angry, but soon realize that they need to read more as well. At the end of the story the town still watches TV, but in moderation and spends more time reading books.

My overall impression of this book is that it sends a great message to children about how important reading really is and the consequences that could happen from not reading. Even though technology is a great tool it also needs to be used in moderation. I real enjoyed reading this book and the message that it sends to readers about how important reading is.

[Jackie Perelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the importance of reading. In a society that is so used to plopping down in front of a television set to watch the latest shows, books have become obsolete. Aunt Chip used to be the librarian at the town library. When TV began to take over, she fought as hard as she could to encourage people to continue reading. When all her attempts did not work, she took to bed because she was so heartbroken. One day her grandson comes to her asking questions about books and reading. She teaches him to read and he loves it. He goes to all his school friends and shows them what he can do, in awe all the other students want to learn to read.
The message in this story is that reading is very important but is happening less and less. People are watching movies and binging on Netflix instead of sitting with a good book. The stories and facts that books provide cannot be obtained by watching. The fun of reading is imagining what the words are saying in one's own head. With content screen time our creativity levels are sinking. When people read for the first time in a while they see how great it really is and that it is a whole different experience.

[Kendra · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Books are a treasure. All you need is the key"

In a town where books are a non existent memory, and TVs are peoples pride and joys, Aunt Chip takes charge. Aunt Chip teaches young Eli to read (the key) and he discovers all the amazing stories books offer. (treasures) Eli then shows his classmates who are thrilled by the idea and eager to read as well. The students then gather as many books as they can find around town, ultimately destroying the dam the was made of books taking out the TV tower.

I found this story sent a very good message on the importance of reading and how valuable the library is. It teaches kids that although TVs are nice to have you shouldn't let them control your everyday life and maybe mix watching TV to reading a book.

[Mrs. Wynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aunt Chip has been in bed for 50 years, for some reason. Her nephew Eli isn't quite sure why. Does it have anything to do with the fact that everyone in this particular town is glued to their beloved TV sets? No one reads, but books are still in use--to hold up falling walls, as footstools and tables, etc. What becomes of a town that foregoes reading in favor of watching TV all day and night?

I enjoy Patricia Polacco, but I had trouble with this book. I selected it with the idea in mind to read to primary students about the importance of reading, but it came off to me as contrived. Sad to say, because some of her other books are so good! I won't give up on Polacco's books, but just didn't care much for this one. Maybe it was because it didn't fit my needs. Oh, well.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe this book presents a real possibility of what could happen if libraries around the world were done away with. Even my hometown is cutting librarian staff because they say "Anyone can check out a book". But you see, the job itself is so much more than that. Librarians teach children how to read. Children today are so focused and sucked into technology at their fingertips. They have cell phones, laptops, etc, not just television. If librarians can raise up a generation of readers, those readers will raise a generation of readers so hopefully books everywhere will NEVER be used to fill potholes and seal dams. Good Book!

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. Absolutely love it. I had never read this book prior to the assignment. There is a quote that says " Now look at this. Those are words. they tell about ideas, dreams, and feelings. They take you to places far from here. They show you ow to be fair and just, and sometimes show you what happens when you're not. Books are a treasure. All you need is the key." This rings true in today's society. Being a young adult I feel that books have lost much of their magic, and we just need to be reminded of how wonderful they truly are. This book is a great read for children because it truly highlights the importance of reading.

[Ruth Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories are true even if they might not have happened, and so it is up to the reader to decide! This is a modern fantasy about a town that watched so much television that it forgot how to read. And everyone know there are consequences for not reading . . . !

Quote to remember: "Those are words. They tell about ideas, dreams, and feelings. They take you to places far from here. They show you how to be fair and just, and sometimes show you what happens when you're not. Books are a treasure. All you need is the key."

[Luke Sanchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair was a phenomenal read. It is about a small town that is so obsessed with watching television that they no longer read books and have forgotten how to read. Patricia Polacco not only does a great job with the story but also with the illustrations. You can see how the town uses the books to build a dam and how Aunt Chip might be a little whacky with all the cats she has. I strongly recommend this because it talks about how we shouldn't be completely wrapped up in our technology and how important literacy is.

[Sarah Jost · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Patricia Polacco books, they are great and tend to teach a great lesson. In this book, she talks about the importance of reading and books. Often times, children do not realize the importance of reading and how powerful it can be. This book does a great job of teaching that to kids. In the book, the towns people are so consumed with T.V., they lose sight of everything else. Reading is a gateway to so many things so it is essential that children realize the benefits and get interested in it at a young age.

[Giug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair

I Looovvee this book. I think the author's way of inspiring people to read was very imaginative. I have treasured this book ever since I got it. It is even more special to me because my copy is atographed, by Patricia Polacco. I think Patricia Polacco's way of telling her stories is what makes them so special. She even writes stories from her childhood.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story itself is not that great, yet, the illustrations make up the value of the book. There are magnificent illustrations of cats accompanied by an intriguing mix of media. My eye is drawn to the delicate pencil drawings that highlight the colorful depictions. The subject matter revolves around books so this would be a good addition to a "Librarian" story time theme. It would also be pertinent for any parent or teacher that is trying to promote the usage of books to children.