How many animals does it take to mess up a story?

The Surprise Party
Written and Illustrated by Pat Hutchins
Picture book ages 4-8
Rating: 4/5

Rabbit is having a surprise party tomorrow. When he tells Owl his secret, Rabbit's "secret" is spread all over town! The only problem is that a secret can get pretty jumbled after going through multiple sources, which causes confusion for Rabbit and the entire town!

Opinion: Cute book. The drawings are very detailed and are all colored in a way that reminds me of a couch from the 70's. Lime green, yellow, and different shades of orange give the pictures and the book a very vintage vibe. (The book was written in 1969). The owl reminds me of the owl in the commercial with the boy and Tootsie Pops, when the boys asks him "Mr. Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?" The storyline is also simple and satisfying: a written, animal version of the game we all know from childhood as "telephone." I'm having a surprise party turns into going to the sea, climbing a tree, writing poetry...which makes the story funny and relatable.

Curriculum connection: Before reading the ending, you could close the book and ask the class what they think is going to happen, since everyone is confused about what Rabbit is actually doing. Will they make it to the party? It could also tie into a lesson on communication, and how things we say can get misinterpreted and it's important to talk to each other directly. A classroom activity could be playing the actual game "telephone" or an exercise on listening skills.