| Chicka Chicka Boom Boom | |
| Author: | Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault |
| Illustrator: | Lois Ehlert |
| Cover Artist: | Lois Ehlert |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Series: | Chicka Chicka Boom Boom |
| Subject: | The alphabet |
| Genre: | Children's picture book |
| Publisher: | Simon & Schuster |
| Pub Date: | September 14, 1989 |
| Pages: | 36 |
| Isbn: | 1-55924-577-8 |
| Oclc: | 19262991 |
| Preceded By: | N/A |
| Followed By: | Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 |
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom is an American children's picture book written by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, illustrated by Lois Ehlert,[1] and published in hardcover by Simon & Schuster in 1989. The book features anthropomorphized letters and charted on The New York Times Best Seller list for children's books in 2000.[2]
The lowercase alphabet climb up a coconut tree in order, but their weight causes the tree to lean over, causing themselves to fall out of the tree. Shortly after, the uppercase alphabet (the older relatives of the lowercase alphabet) comes to rescue them. Again alphabetically, while being rescued, most of the alphabet receive certain injuries. Later that night, the letter "a" gets up and climbs back up the coconut tree, proposing a double dare on the rest of the alphabet to catch him.
An audiobook version is also available, narrated by Ray Charles.
A CD-ROM game was released in 1995 by Davidson and Simon & Schuster Interactive.
A 2004 sequel entitled Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Martin and Michael Sampson was inspired by it.[3] A board book for babies and toddlers entitled Chicka, Chicka, ABC was published in 1990, which contains the first half of the original story, and ends up with the whole alphabet causing themselves to fall out of the coconut tree.[4]
Weston Woods Studios made its own animated musical short film adaptation, which was inspired by the original book in 1999, with music composed and performed by Crystal Taliefero.
| Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Other Coconutty Songs | |
| Type: | Studio album |
| Artist: | John Archambault and David Plummer |
| Cover: | Chicka-chicka.jpg |
| Alt: | Cover showing coconut tree |
| Released: | 2000 |
| Recorded: | 1991–1992 |
| Genre: | Children's music |
| Label: | Youngheart Records |
| Producer: | David Plummer & John Archambault |
In 1992, Archambault released an album composed of several songs based on the storybook entitled Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Other Coconutty Songs, along with musician David Plummer. It was named a 1992 "Notable Children's Recording American Library Association and in 1993, won a Parents' Choice Award.[5] [6] Its main track was the title song Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which was the book's title.