View source for Cuckoo! by Fiona Roberton

{{infobox2
|title=Cuckoo!
|author=Fiona Roberton
|reviewer=Ruth Ng
|genre=For Sharing
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=9781444912616
|pages=32
|publisher=Hodder Children's Books
|date=January 2014
|aznuk=1444912615
|aznus=1444912615
|cover=1444912615
|website=
|video=
|summary=Delightful!  Sweet and funny and beautifully drawn.
}}
We do love Fiona Roberton's books in our house, a passion that started with [[Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton|Wanted: The Perfect Pet]].  This new story, about fat little cuckoo, is just as delightful as her others, and one that I've sneakily read without the children, once or twice, just so that I can properly enjoy it by myself!

When cuckoo is born the other birds are very happy, but then they discover that cuckoo is different.  Whilst they say ''too-too-weet'' cuckoo, of course, says ''cuckoo''!  They try very hard, but remain unable to understand each other, so Cuckoo sets off alone to try and find someone who will understand him.  Cuckoo searches everywhere, trying to talk to sheep and frogs and cows and rabbits, but no-one can understand him.  He even tries going to language lessons, to learn another language, but it just doesn't work out.  Poor Cuckoo!  Whilst trying to find somewhere warm to sleep he hears a faint noise in the distance.  Could it be another Cuckoo?  Has he finally found someone who will understand him?

I really love this story, and it's told in such an endearing way.  I love Cuckoo meeting all the different animals.  When he meets the cows, some of the cows try to speak back to Cuckoo but the best they can manage is ''Moocoo'' and ''Coomoo''!  I laughed out loud at the part where Cuckoo goes to language lessons.  He is trying to learn 'sheep' but unlike the other students in the class (including a farmer, a wolf and a giraffe!) he splutters out ''Buckoo.  Buckaa.  Caboo!''

The illustrations are so sweet, you can't help but fall in love with Cuckoo.  I also loved the frogs in their rowing boat, and the rabbits who try to thump a message to cuckoo but he can only ''pat pat pat'' in return.  The drawings are deceptively simple, and often very funny.  The book's conclusion is lovely, and unexpected.  This is certainly an enjoyable book to read, and it stands up perfectly to the 'read it again' test - highly recommended!

Take a look at this story from Fiona Roberton too, [[Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton|Wanted: The Perfect Pet]] and also the follow up which we loved: [[The Perfect Present by Fiona Roberton|The Perfect Present]]

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