Clickety Clack

by Rob Spence, Amy Spence, Margaret Spengler (Illustrator)

A train-ride adventure has the very patient Driver Zach picking up groups of very silly passengers, including dancing ducks, talking yaks, and two packs of elephants that really start a ruckus when two mischievous mice climb aboard. Reprint.

Genres: Picture Books, Trains, Transport, Storytime, Childrens, Animals, Humor

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Renee]

Summary: A train gets noisier and more crowded as quacking ducks, dancing acrobats, talking yaks, and packs of elephants board.

Good for Toddler and Preschool Story Classes for train theme.

It is a cumulative tale with a nice repetitive line at the end "Clickety clack, clickety clack." The text is short and has a nice rhythm to it which sounds like a song when read. Also has many rhymes with ack sound. I like the end in which the engineer yells at all the animals to keep the noise down. The reader can then read the rest of the story in a lower tone as the animals are trying to be quiet so Driver Zach doesn't turn the train around.

[Rachel]

I picked this up for my son because of his train obsession and it was funny because as soon as he saw the cover, he yells out “Clickety-Clack” and I was like “Wow, can he read that?” (he’s only 2 ½ ). Then I realized he probably has listened to it at daycare, and he said some of the repeating phrases along with me as I was reading the book. Needless to say, it was a huge hit with him. I enjoyed it too. I mean how can you not love a book with talking yaks, quacking ducks and mice who use fireworks! As I said earlier, the text repeats itself so a child can easily follow the pattern. Recommended for ages 3-6, 4 stars.

[Jess]

September 2016 - train books, the world where nothing needs to make sense because your child only wants to look at trains. Yaks? Acrobats? Flat cars of unrestrained elephants? Bring it on. A nice rhythm for reading aloud, but your logical brain will cry.

[Beverly Kennett]

rhyming book with good vocabulary

[KaitandMaddie]

This is fun to read aloud.

[Jennifer]

With a repetitive refrain, this fun story is complete silliness but the toddlers love to repeat "clickety-clack" and act out the quacking of the ducks and the stomping of the elephants. It's definitely a fun story time read aloud for a train theme.

Edited 2/5/2019: I used this today in my toddler story time and was shocked that the little boys were not in the least bit interested. A couple of the girls thought it was great and sat enthralled while the boys ran around the room. Who would've guessed? I won't use it with this group again.

[Becky Martin]

Clickety Clack is a great rhyming book for young readers. It is the story of a traveling circus on a train, and the animals and actors are hyper as they drive along the track. All of the illustrations are in solid colors, and the animals are given human characteristics. The book continues to add on each phrase to the next, until the conductor Zach yells for the animals and actors to be quiet. Then, all they can hear is the clickety clack against the track. The facial expressions given by all of the characters show all of the emotion which serve in telling another story that is different from the text. Overall, this is a great story for young readers.

[Anna J.]

Clickety Clack by Rob and Amy Spence is a story about a train packed full of animal passengers who are “going down the track, clickety clack, clickety clack.” The book’s rhythm and rhyme makes this story a fun read aloud for students. Students will also like looking at the colorful pages. This story is recommended by Barnes and Noble for children ages four to eight; however, I think younger children might even like listening to the story and looking at this colorful picture book.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

I wish there had been a bit more substance to this story, as I was really enjoying the "clickety clack" sounds as I read. Told in rhyme, it's a very bouncy, rhythmic read-aloud that I plan to use this week in my preschool story time.

[Jackie]

Engaging illustrations accompany the silly text in Clickety, Clack. As more and more animals board the train, the train gets noisier and noisier until the two mischievous culprits learn to tone it down.


Used for "No More Noise" Storytime: July, 2011.

[Janey]

A fun book. We made it into a chant & would yell out the "quack quack quack" & "clickety clack". Then we would chant real quiet when the conductor wanted everyone to quiet down, but then we'd still yell out the "quacks" & "clickety clacks". Will have to add to our collection.

[Virginia]

I love this book! It's got a great rhythm to it for reading aloud. And it's perfect for a kiddo who is obsessed with trains.

[Erin]

I really can relate to Driver Zach. :)

[Susan]

My favorite train read-aloud!

[Kena Kump]

The illustration of bears and animals will keep young kids 4-8 entertained. Rhyming pattern is fun and helps with phonics! Great

[Becca Holcomb]

This is one of my favorite stories of all times. It is such a good book for teaching rhyming to young learners.

[Paula]

A train gets noisier and more crowded as quacking ducks, dancing acrobats, talking yaks, and packs of elephants board.
Story time FC

[Michelle Brandstetter]

SL Skills - Print motivation, print awareness, & vocabulary. Activities - Read, talk, & play.

[Jennifer Conrad]

Awesome book for repetition and rhyme! And if your kid loves trains as much as mine does, you'll want this book!

[Robin]

Solid train book for toddler story time.

[Lynnette]

Absolutely no point and no morals to this book, but I love the rhythm! It's just pure fun :)

[Kelsey Yates]

It rhymes, it repeats, there's animals, there's a train. Nothing to dislike.

[Juliette]

Rhythmic read, fun pictures.

[Stormy Cubley]

Great rhyming book with awesome, colorful illustrations.

[Kristina]

I thought that this was an ok book. my kids got into the rhyming of the book. I would recommend this book to others.

[Barbara DaCosta]

Lovely pastel drawings!

[Sarah]

(4-5)

[Lindsay]

Just as this book begins to get predictable and long, there's a surprise! Fun language

[Judy Carey Nevin]

This was the very first manuscript I acquired.

[Heather]

Love the rhymes and the quiet down nature to end a storytime, was a bit too long for toddlers. Recommended ages 3-5.