Higgledy-Piggledy Chicks

Joosse, Barbara M.

ISBN 10: 006075043X ISBN 13: 9780060750435

Publisher: Greenwillow Books, 2010

Synopsis

Pip. Rip! Peek. Peep!

Mama has seven fuzzy new chicks. The barnyard is big. Things sparkle, things flap, and things wiggle, and the chicks want to know about all of them.

Zzzzip!

They scoot higgledy-piggledy here and there.

Mama clucks, "Watch out for danger!" But they are too curious, and they get into trouble.

Luckily, there's always a place under Mama's wing for the fuzzy chicks to zip back to.

Safe.

Hushhhhhh.

About this title

About the Author:

Barbara Joosse is the author of many acclaimed books for children, including Mama, Do You Love Me?, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee, Roawr!, illustrated by Jan Jutte, and Higgledy-Piggledy Chicks, illustrated by Rick Chrustowski. She lives with her family in a cozy old stone house in Wisconsin.

From School Library Journal:

PreS—Night in the barnyard gives way to the crowing rooster. Then: "Banty hen feels...broody." She lays her eggs, waits, they hatch, run around getting into trouble, and finally night falls, leaving them safe with their mother. The story is minimal, but the pleasing sound effects and adventurous chicks testing their independence will engage young listeners. The time structure is uneven, beginning with morning and finishing at night, while leaving the time in between elastic: sometimes there are moments between pages, other times days or weeks, which may confuse the intended audience. A lovely endnote explains the factual information behind the text. Joosse is trying to impart it in an entertaining, narrative fashion, but she is only partially successful. The illustrations, on the other hand, are inspired. Using collage and colored pencil, Chrustowski imbues the images with color, life, personality, and movement. The chicks, who vary in color from black to brown to yellow, with some bicolored, look ready to jump off the page. The artist's torn-paper technique gives them a fuzzy look, and the collage provides depth and texture. The barnyard teems with life, including everything from grasshoppers to snakes to raccoons. Using close-up images, Chrustowski provides predictable elements, increasing children's engagement. An additional purchase.—Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

About this edition

• Publisher: Greenwillow Books
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 006075043X
• ISBN 13: 9780060750435
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Chrustowski Rick