A pigtailed girl buys a cute yellow chick at the general store and triggers a poultry-buying spree, in arithmetic progression, by nine members of her family: "My cousin hollered 'Gimme some!' and carried five away./ His sister got six white ones 'cause she had to have her way." Ultimately, "fifty or more" (actually, 55) chicks take up residence throughout the heroine's house, leading her to observe, "I guess my family's lucky that I didn't want a cow!" One quibble: the numerals and addition that drive the text don't get any visual play. This country tale is chipper and sunny from beginning to end, thanks to Halls's (Dino-Trekking) rhymes with the meter of a square-dance caller, and the gently skewed perspective of Brooks's (The Always Moon) cartooning. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
School Library Journal
PreSchool-K-This attempt at a bouncy counting rhyme falls flat. The verses clump along in a singsong rhythm as a girl buys a baby chick at the general store and each member of her extended family successively chooses one more until great-grandpa picks out 10 chicks for a grand total of "more than fifty head." No numerals are shown, weakening the title's use as a counting book. The colorful pictures are lively and busy with detail as the new family additions populate the house. The cartoon characters, drawn with big heads and thin necks, energetically gather up the chicks, adding to the slapstick antics. Children will find the idea of chickens overrunning the house humorous, and a two-page spread of the kitchen aptly illustrates the silly situation. Despite the funny punch line, "I guess my family's lucky I didn't want a cow," there are many better rhyming stories and counting books available, making this an additional purchase.
Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Booklist
A young girl and her family go on a chicken-buying spree at the general store in this comical counting book. The narrator describes the purchases one by one in a rhyming text: "I bought a baby chicken at the general store. My sister liked the black ones, so she gathered up two more." In no time, the girl's parents and various other relatives follow suit. Brooks provides visual reinforcement with colorful, often humorous, nicely detailed illustrations showing each family member with the correct number of chickens to match the text. Unfortunately, the actual numerals never appear anywhere on the pages, so the book cannot be used for teaching number identification. But it offers plenty of additional opportunity to identify everyday objects or to count--bottles, cans, or pots and pans. A playful way to introduce counting to preschoolers or to reinforce the concept with older children. Lauren Peterson
Children's Literature
This book for young counters is charming. Our heroine buys a baby chick in an old-fashioned general store on a shopping trip with her family. Her sister chooses two black chicks; their father likes the striped ones, so he chooses three. Mom had four in her apron by the time the child "turned around to see." This is a wonderful rhyming counting book with very few words which are on the left side of the pages and illustrations which outgrow their space on the right side, until the chicks nearly overtake the double-page spread, as they have overtaken the house! There are lots of opportunity for counting here, but there are other chances for vocabulary development as well. A kindergarten class would enjoy this, chuckling at the chaos the chickens create. 2000, Caroline House, Ages 3 to 7, $14.95. Reviewer: Candace Deisley
