COCO ALL YEAR ROUND

Whimsical verses and crisp, vibrant photography present readers with a seasonal serving of Coco’s antics. Each month of the calendar year is treated to jaunty rhymes extolling the virtues of that month—as perceived by a spunky young chicken. From levitating chicks and other magic tricks in July to a unique twist on a Thanksgiving feast, Tanen’s wry humor abounds—referring to her march in the parade, Coco remarks, “It would have been fun, had I not slipped in poop.” Juvenile, perhaps, but hit-the-funny-bone silly to the preschool set. Tanen manages to imbue each fuzzy yellow, bead-eyed and chenille-beaked chick with a wealth of expression, all perfectly captured through Hagen’s pictures. The vivid photography encompasses the minutiae of a chick-sized universe, and young readers will delight in the familiarity between Coco’s world and their own. Unabashedly goofy, Tanen’s rollicking tale of chicken-infused hilarity is good fun and a refreshing take on the seasonal holidays. (Picture book. 4-8)