View source for Charlie Chick Wants to Play by Ant Parker

{{infobox2
|title=Charlie Chick Wants to Play
|author=Ant Parker
|reviewer=Sam Tyler
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Check out Charlie Chick as he searches the farm for his ball in this honest lift the flap book.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=10
|publisher=Campbell Books
|date=February 2017
|isbn=9781509829002
|website=
|video=
|aznuk=1509829008
|aznus=1509829008
|cover=1509829008
}}

You would be amazed how often items go missing in children's books, especially in lift the flap books.  What better way is there to get a kid to look under something than say it may contain the missing object?  In this case, a Chick has lost their ball and rather than question why a baby chicken would have a ball in the first place, we instead must go on an adventure around the farm.

Charlie Chick has lost his ball so must search the various farmyard areas for it.  Does the pig have it?  Or the dog?  Help out this little fella by opening the various locations.  You never know, the actual hiding place may be a surprise.

It is a very rare thing for a 10-page children's book to offer much insight or depth and in most cases that is not the point of the book.  However, even in the simplified world of the lift the flap book, ''Charlie Chick Wants to Play'' is a simple affair.  Few clichés are left unturned as Charlie goes about hitting the classic areas of the farm in search of his ball.  The book is aimed at the 1-3-year-old market so teaching a toddler their basic animals is no bad thing, it is just that ''Charlie'' adds little else.

One element that it does differ is by having a follow the leader element.  Once Charlie meets one of his animal pals they follow him on the adventure and are included in the story.  This means that towards the end you are listing a few animals as they search the next location.  The repeating of the animals' names is a useful tool to help teach an early reader who is who.

You may think that doing much with a 10-page-flap book is impossible, but the similarly themed [[Fluffy Chick by Rod Campbell]] is able to use touch elements to make that book stand out.  Parker's illustrations are bold and clear, but no more inspiring than a hundred other books available.  There is nothing wrong with ''Charlie'' and it does the job of providing some flap lifting entertainment to a toddler, it is just a little underwhelming, even within this limited book format. 

As mentioned [[Fluffy Chick by Rod Campbell]] is a very similar book, but has some more inventive ideas.  You might also enjoy [[Charlie Chick Goes to School by Nick Denchfield and Ant Parker]].

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