``Chuck Cluck...came to Earth on a rocket ship when he was just an egg.'' Adopted by a passing hen, he soon amazes the other chickens by picking up their coop to retrieve a corn cob, and becomes a hero when he rescues some hatching eggs from a marauding rat. Setting this popular formula in the barnyard gives it an amusing spin, while Lloyd's illustrations are especially lively. Robert O'Connor, now a sixth grader, had the idea for the story at seven; his conclusion hints at a sequel. (Easy reader. 4-8)
