Pass It On! Oink-A-Doodle-Doo by Jeff Czekaj

PSSST!

I HAVE A SECRET...

A bright-pink pig opens the action on the title page as he stage whispers his secret in the ear of a reluctantly listening rooster:

OINK!

Insisting that the rooster pass it on, the pig watches expectantly as the messenger heads off to find a willing ear.

Rooster flit flits until he finds Cow. But he just can't help putting his own spin on Pig's secret:

OINK-A-DOODLE-DOO!

Cow takes in the message and galumphs off to pass the secret on to Frog. But he, too, adds his own personal touch, a fitting MOO!, to the message.

In his new version of the popular "telephone" or "gossip" game, Jeff Czekaj's latest, Cock-a-Doodle-Moo! (Balzer & Bray, 2012), uses the venerable cumulative tale format for his stylish cartoon illustrations. Frog adds his own ribbit to the mishmash of a message, and as it is passed on in turn to Crow, Owl, Horse, Sheep, Snake, Duck, Mouse, Donkey, Cat, and finally Dog, each one adding his own signature sound to the mixed message.

Dog is flummoxed with what he hears:

HEE-HAW-OINK-BAA-QUACK-CAW-RIBBING-HISS-NEIGH-MEOW-MOO-HOO-SQUEAK.

PASS IT ON, DOG!

Gulp! Dog is totally consternated.

"I CAN'T DO IT!" HE PANTS.

Of course, Pig is non-plussed with the muddled mess his friends have made of his message, but, ever the optimistic pig, he's instantly ready to try again, in this giggle-getter of a nonsense syllable-slinging story which begs to be read aloud--enthusiastically.