)Most of you probably do not buy many picture books, but for the target audience ((parents of) girls 4-8), this is worth having.
Penny, Polly, and Molly are tough chicks. All the other animals tell Mama Hen to make them be good as the race bugs, swing from the cow's tail, play in the pigpen, and explore the inner workings of the tractor. When the tractor is on a crash course for the hen house, it is up to the tough chicks to save the day.
It is a simple story, as picture books are, but it has the right message. The chicks are active, curious, and industrious. They do not take orders well. They are bright and competent, and they save the day.
Explicit message from the farmer: "You are little fuzzy-headed chicks. Be cute. Be quiet. Be good. And stay away from my tractor." Little girls are good only when they are cute and quiet. Then the farmer gets stuck and needs the rough and tumble chicks to save the hen house, the tractor, and the crop. And everyone dances.
The art style tends towards circular animals, especially the cow and sheep: big circle with some texture, head sticking out. It's cute. In any big picture, the chicks will have multiple legs, because they are always running.
There are worms and mud. There is a tiny chick with a lasso. There are unhappy cows. There are plenty of playful things to keep the kids entertained while the message comes along, with action at a good clip.
And the grown-ups can have fun noticing the differences from reality, like how very impressive it is for chicks to build a ten-meter tower, although the fulcrum is in an odd place for a lever.
Amazon link
Peep, peep, zoom, zip, cheep.
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