18 Apr 2011 No Comments
“The Trouble with Chickens” by Doreen Cronin
THE BOOK MAMA BASICS
For ages: 8 -12
Gender specific: Fun for all
Any pictures?: Black and white illustrations by Kevin Cornell
How long?: 128 page
Are there more?: Stay tuned…
Similar to?: The Adventures of Nanny Piggins
What’s it cost?: $9.67 on Amazon
Synopsis: In “The Trouble with Chicken” by Doreen Cronin, retired search-and-rescue dog J.J. Tully is enjoying the simple life on a farm when his world is turned upside down by an annoying hen, Moosh, and her two equally obnoxious chicks, Dirt and Sugar, who hound him to help locate Poppy and Sweetie. They fear that the missing chicks have been kidnapped and are being held hostage inside the house where ferocious Vince the Funnel-an aptly named canine-lives. When Moosh appears with a note stating it “behooves” the chickens to “rendezvous” to get back her peeps, J.J. muses about the likelihood of birdbrains with sophisticated vocabulary, and he must sniff out the true offenders. (Edited from Booklist)
Review: Bestselling author Doreen Cronin (Click, Clack, Moo) uses her deadpan humor in “The Trouble with Chickens” to pitch-perfect effect in her first novel for young readers. Heavily illustrated with black-and-white artwork from Kevin Cornell, this new series is destined to become a classic. A tiny bit convoluted, but enough fun that you don’t really care. A narrator switcheroo in the middle of the story is a bit jarring. Overall, this is a delightful canine mystery.
