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BIG CHICKIE, LITTLE CHICKIE by Janee Trasler

BIG CHICKIE, LITTLE CHICKIE

A Book of Opposites

From the Chickies series

by Janee Trasler ; illustrated by Janee Trasler

Pub Date: Jan. 26th, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-234231-7
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

This new volume in Trasler’s popular Chickies series (Bedtime for Chickies, 2014; A New Chick for Chickies, 2014, etc.) introduces opposites.

Pig, Cow, and Sheep decide it’s picture time for Chickies. All the animals take part in a boisterous photo shoot, showcasing pairs of opposites along the way. In some instances, the concepts are crystal clear, such as when the text “Chickies in. / Chickies out” is paired with an illustration of the Chickies inside and outside a box of clothing. Other times, the concepts can be tricky. For instance, it may take a while for toddlers to puzzle out the up/down pairing, in which the “Chickies up” illustration features a snapshot of a Chickie in midjump, showing just its bottom half with feet off the ground. “Chickie’s down” catches it on the descent, showing just the top of its head. In a nifty twist, the predictable rhymes and picture-taking session are interrupted with several clever photo-bombs. For example: “Chickies then. / Chickies now. / Chickies dance / and take a… // COW!” The illustration presents Cow in a tutu instead of the bowing Chickies readers might have expected. Bright, bold illustrations, smooth rhyming verse, and clever wordplay make this another Chickie keeper.

This witty introduction to opposites will be treasured by Chickie fans of all ages.

(Board book. 2-4)