Crankee Doodle
By Regan McMahon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Yankee Doodle refuses to go town in silly takeoff.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
Yankee Doodle is bored, and so his pony suggests, "We could go to town." But the Yankee responds, "Town? No way. I hate going to town," and launches into a nonstop rant, shouting down all Pony's suggestions ("We could go shopping ... You could buy a feather for your hat! .. You could call it macaroni") and works himself up into a tantrum. But when Pony finally shows he has feelings, too (after Yankee insults him), Yankee softens and the two pals zoom off to town together -- in a car, with Pony driving.
Is It Any Good?
CRANKEE DOODLE is loads of silly fun, and Yankee's long rants about all the things he doesn't like are fun to read aloud with giggle-provoking gusto. Cece Bell's cartoon-like illustrations are big, bright, and perfectly capture the contrast between calm, deadpan Pony and angry, outraged Yankee.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the "Yankee Doodle" song. Did you learn it in school? What makes it fun to sing? Why do you think it's been popular for generations?
What's funny about a talking horse?
What's funny about seeing somebody get so angry about practically nothing? Have you ever gotten out-of-ontrol angry about a small thing?
Book Details
- Author: Tom Angleberger
- Illustrator: Cece Bell
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Friendship , History , Horses and Farm Animals , Music and Sing-Along
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Clarion Books
- Publication date: June 4, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 4 - 8
- Available on: Hardback
- Last updated: March 4, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate