COCK-A-DOODLE-HOOOOOOO!

An owl takes over a rooster’s role (well, mostly) in this rather ingenuous barnyard episode. Flabbergasted to find an owl roosting among them after a stormy night, most of the henhouse’s feathered residents want to drive the stranger away. Though one speckled hen takes him under her wing, teaching him to scratch and pick just like a rooster, he can’t quite get the hang of cock-a-doodling—until he really proves his worth by gobbling down a marauding, egg-eating rat. After that ,he manages a crow (see title) that’s good enough for his grateful new harem. Two high spots sandwich the big cartoon illustrations: an opening scene in which the small, weary owl gets an unconscious cuddle from the sleeping hens; and a final view of him strutting out in front of a line of hens and chicks, past an astounded farmer. Even younger children may be left wondering where the next generation of chicks will be coming from, but the speckled hen’s compassion and the owl’s willingness to work at finding ways to fit in without compromising his essential nature thematically anchor a warmly inclusive tale. (Picture book. 6-8)