Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“What on earth are you doing silly bird? You are not a dairy cow. You are a wild turkey and the most comical Bubbly Jock I ever saw.”

Owwhh, this book! This is a first – a children’s story that’s made me well up with both joy and sadness. Not only that, but I’ve never wanted to go and find a turkey and give it a hug before! I used to have a couple of chickens a few years ago, so as soon as this book appeared on my radar, it gave me such a lovely feeling and reminded me of all their quirky little traits and loving nature. Bubbly Jock Jack was just as wonderful and now I really want a pet turkey! This book has been such a delight to read and even though I don’t have any children in the family to share it with, I still enjoyed the story as a 28-year-old. So happy to share my review and to give this book the love it deserves!

Bubbly Jock Jack is unlike any other animal at the Cluck Cluck Farm. While his turkey family is not interested in mingling with the guests at the farm, Jack enjoys making new friends. When Jack overhears a young girl speak of the horrors of turkeys being eaten at Thanksgiving, he becomes worried and devises a brilliant turkey plan. Jack must convince the farmer that he serves a purpose at the farm but it is the farmer that guides him to realize his true purpose. Jack also learns that all humans are not alike.

The story…

Bubbly Jock Jack is just the cutest turkey who lives on Cluck Cluck Farm. Other animals intrigue him and he loves to chat with them and make friends. This little turkey is so lovable and it was so nice to read about such a friendly, inspirational character that children can instantly love and become attached to. I enjoyed the author’s wording and found the language and vocabulary used to be perfect for the 5-10 age range, whether they’re confident at reading themselves, or when getting an adult to read to them.

As the story developed, Bubbly Jock Jack overhears a conversation which makes him panic. Would he be slaughtered and used as a Thanksgiving turkey?! This part of the book made me so sad as I loved this little creature. The thought of any animal being stressed hurts my heart, so it was a relief when he finds out his true purpose on Cluck Cluck Farm. This character soon realises that every animal on the farm has an important job to do and that he shouldn’t try so hard to prove himself when simply being a turkey is more than good enough.

There are so many lessons to learn from this character and the whole book, and it was so heartwarming to read the realisation of his true purpose and truth about the farm. Learning more about the human race and that not all humans are the same was a welcome addition and also highlights the differences between vegetarians and meat eaters in a way that young people can understand.

The best bits…

I loved how the author has portrayed all the cute characters in the book, but I particularly enjoyed how she got the personality of a turkey spot on! The ‘conversations’ Bubbly Jock Jack has with humans through his ‘gobble gobble’ noises made me smile, as this reminded me of owning my lovely little chickens! I’m sure they can talk too… I also loved looking at the detailed illustrations by illustrator, Jubayda Sagor. They’re so colourful and striking, and they really capture a perfect snapshot in time that we can look at whilst reading/listening to the relevant part of the book.

I also enjoyed the author’s use of repetition in some scenes, as this is a fabulous tool to make a book more memorable for a child. Bubbly Jock Jack tries his hardest to be like other animals on the farm, but instead of doing a good job, he just looks like a silly wild turkey! It was so nice to see this character learn that he doesn’t have to be like any other animal. He is unique and special just how he is without trying hard to be someone or something he’s not.

The moral of the story…

Not only is this the perfect story to teach important life lessons to children, but even adults can take away these lessons and understand that they are enough and to believe in themselves more! The story is dedicated to discovering self-worth and encourages the reader to feel inspired and capable of achieving great things, and that you should never jump to conclusions or always fear the worst outcome. The story portrays all these points perfectly in a fun and attractive way to all readers, regardless of age or life experience!

Thank you so much to Lori Armstrong for the copy of this beautiful story for me to read and review! Bubbly Jock Jack and the Thanksgiving Fallacy is available now on Amazon, and it’ll also be available on Kindle Unlimited! If you’d like to learn more about the author, you can visit her website and follow her over on Instagram.

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