Parents' Guide to

Kipper's Birthday

By Ann Marie Sammataro, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 2+

Chipper tale is a preschooler's delight.

Book Mick Inkpen Picture Book 1993
Kipper's Birthday Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

Plees come to my bithday party tomoro at 12 o cloc dont be lat. Kipper's having a birthday party and wants all of his friends to attend. Confusion reigns when everyone receives the invitations a day late and mistakenly assume that the party is the following day. Sweet illustrations capture all the fun of a party--with or without guests.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Mick Inkpen once again delivers a chipper tale that's a preschooler's delight. While one toddler who was read this tale appeared baffled by the today-tomorrow conundrum, older children immediately caught the joke. The perplexing wordplay is a mini brainteaser for readers to puzzle out. Unlike most of the Kipper books, this one is geared toward preschoolers through second-graders, with a substantially longer story and more complex plot.

As always, Inkpen's winsome illustrations add a great deal to the tale. Clean lines, warmly drawn characters, and bright colors attract the reader's eye. Keeping the layout simple -- with just a few character and objects in each picture -- prevents younger children from becoming overwhelmed by detail.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the misunderstanding. How does Kipper feel when no one comes to his party? Parents can review the meaning of today, tomorrow, and yesterday with their young kids.

Book Details

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.

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