Long may these clueless chicks cluck! (Mystery. 6-10)
Barbara has built a mysterious box in the backyard near the coop; what dangerous creature lurks within?
The Chicken Squad is on the case (much to retired rescue dog J.J. Tully’s amusement). Dirt (the smart one), Sugar (the know-it-all), Poppy (the boy), and Sweetie (well, she shows up) decide to investigate the strange new box on stilts that Barbara has placed in the backyard. With their spy kits (containing binoculars, mustaches, and marshmallow belts), the chicks are ready for action. After three long minutes of surveillance (that may have included a nap), Dirt, at least, has ruled out a shark as a possibility for the backyard’s new dangerous denizen…Sugar’s not so sure. After careful review of the evidence (and accidental poetry) they decide it must be a rabbit…but the door has been left open! Rabbits can’t survive in the wild! So despite the fact that Sugar’s compass is predicting scorching weather (don’t ask), the Chicken Squad is ready to head into the wild to save the maybe-bunny. Cronin continues her series of mystery misadventures following the chicken siblings, while Gilpin takes over illustrating duties from Kevin Cornell (and young fans might not notice the change). Many illustrations and frequent word repetition (not to mention the giggle-inducing high jinks) make this series a great choice for those new to chapters. Final art not seen.
Long may these clueless chicks cluck! (Mystery. 6-10)Pub Date: May 3, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4814-5046-1
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Caitlyn Dlouhy/Atheneum
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2016
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading.
When Franklin School principal Mr. Boone announces a pet-show fundraiser, white third-grader Cody—whose lack of skill and interest in academics is matched by keen enthusiasm for and knowledge of animals—discovers his time to shine.
As with other books in this series, the children and adults are believable and well-rounded. Even the dialogue is natural—no small feat for a text easily accessible to intermediate readers. Character growth occurs, organically and believably. Students occasionally, humorously, show annoyance with teachers: “He made mad squinty eyes at Mrs. Molina, which fortunately she didn’t see.” Readers will be kept entertained by Cody’s various problems and the eventual solutions. His problems include needing to raise $10 to enter one of his nine pets in the show (he really wants to enter all of them), his troublesome dog Angus—“a dog who ate homework—actually, who ate everything and then threw up afterward”—struggles with homework, and grappling with his best friend’s apparently uncaring behavior toward a squirrel. Serious values and issues are explored with a light touch. The cheery pencil illustrations show the school’s racially diverse population as well as the memorable image of Mr. Boone wearing an elephant costume. A minor oddity: why does a child so immersed in animal facts call his male chicken a rooster but his female chickens chickens?
Another winner from Mills, equally well suited to reading aloud and independent reading. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: June 14, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-374-30223-8
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 15, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2016
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look...
Winning actually isn’t everything, as jazz-happy Rooster learns when he goes up against the legendary likes of Mules Davis and Ella Finchgerald at the barnyard talent show.
Having put together a band with renowned cousin Duck Ellington and singer “Bee” Holiday, Rooster’s chances sure look good—particularly after his “ ‘Hen from Ipanema’ [makes] / the barnyard chickies swoon.”—but in the end the competition is just too stiff. No matter: A compliment from cool Mules and the conviction that he still has the world’s best band soon puts the strut back in his stride. Alexander’s versifying isn’t always in tune (“So, he went to see his cousin, / a pianist of great fame…”), and despite his moniker Rooster plays an electric bass in Bower’s canted country scenes. Children are unlikely to get most of the jokes liberally sprinkled through the text, of course, so the adults sharing it with them should be ready to consult the backmatter, which consists of closing notes on jazz’s instruments, history and best-known musicians.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58536-688-0
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2011
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