Chickens to the Rescue

Starred review from October 1, 2006
PreS-Gr 2-At the Greenstalk Farm, its no problem if the sheep get lost, the farmer drops his watch down the well, the dog eats young Jeffreys book report, the cow gets stuck in a tree, the duck steals the truck, or Mrs. Greenstalk is too tired to cook. Its Chickens to the rescue! Unless its Sunday when they get some hard-earned rest and the pigs step in to help out. This rollicking story, made up of simple statements in a specific pattern, follows the fowls heroics Monday through Sunday. The simplicity of the text allows the sheer brilliance of the colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations to shine through. The details in each rescue scene will have everyone laughing and noting the expressions of the animals, their crazy but appropriate outfits, and their amazing abilities. Pair this hilarious story with Doreen Cronins "Click, Clack, Moo" (S & S, 2000) and David Shannons "Duck on a Bike" (Scholastic, 2002) for a lively storytime about extraordinary farm animals."Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2006
OK, it's a one-joke book, but in Himmelman's presentation, the joke gets funnier each time you turn the page. On Monday, Farmer Greenstalk drops his watch down the well . . . "Chickens to the rescue!" The two-page spread features a flock in a flurry. They're wearing bathing caps, or flippers, or goggles. They're flying into each other and diving down in the well. "Those are some chickens," the farmer says as he holds his wet watch. Each family member gets chicken aid. When Mom's too tired to cook dinner, the chickens don chef's hats, flip bacon, stir soup, brandish knives, and generally stir up the kitchen. After the chickens help the humans, they move on to the animals, rescuing the duck, who drives off with the farmer's car, and herding the sheep, who are running amok. The fun here comes from all the frenzy in the pictures, and it will take kids more than one look to see all the silliness. They'll enjoy that second and third glance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2007
The Greenstalk farm is prone to trouble: on Monday Farmer Greenstalk loses his watch; on Wednesday the dog eats Jeffrey's homework; on Friday the cow gets stuck in a tree. Each time, enthusiastic chickens rush to the rescue--until Sunday when Emily spills breakfast, and the exhausted chickens are sound asleep. A final chuckle-inducing illustration shows hungry pigs sprinting toward the house.

(Copyright 2007 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)