Little Chick

Old-Auntie the hen, endlessly patient, marvelously kind, helps Little Chick deal with frustration in three stories. As depicted in Jeram's ("Guess How Much I Love You") watercolor washes, Old-Auntie's feathered bulk dwarfs Little Chick, and her gesturesholding Little Chick between her wings for a kiss, bending down to peer at her when she's discouragedare infused with tenderness. Old-Auntie helps Little Chick deal with her eagerness to harvest the carrot she planted; helps Little Chick endure the long wait until her kite finally flies; and assures Little Chick that the star in the night sky that she wants is better off staying just where it is (I'm afraid the sky just wouldn't be the same without your star, she says, her big feathery wing looped through Little Chick's spindly one). Hest's ("Kiss Good Night") light humor and Jeram's visual charm work as harmoniously together as Little Chick and Old-Auntie themselves. Ages 2up. "(Mar.)" Copyright 2009 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

PreS-Gr 2The creator of Baby Duck presents three short adventures that brim with childlike concerns and solutions. Little Chick impatiently waits for her carrot to grow and then finally pulls it, finds a way to make her kite fly, and accepts that she cannot catch her favorite star and put it in her pocket. The protagonist, like many youngsters, wants what she wants immediately, but her understanding and wise Old-Auntie is always there to ease life's disappointments. The text is gentle, affectionate, and child-centered with some lovely turns of phrase and on-target dialogue. The stories become repetitive by the end, but that fact likely makes them more reassuring and appealing to the intended audience. Jeram's pencil-and-watercolor illustrations shine. Little Chick is so perfectly childlikelying on her back holding her toes when she has to wait, leaning on Old-Auntie when things get too hard, or hanging her head dejectedly when her kite won't fly. Readers will empathize simply by looking at her. Old-Auntie is large and comforting yet distinctively birdlike, and the pages are nicely varied, mixing spot sequences with single- and double-page paintings. From the green-checked endpapers to the blue-washed star-filled sky on the final spread, "Little Chick" is a joy to behold and will find a treasured place in most collections."Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT" Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Hest's light humor and Jeram's visual charm work as harmoniously together as Little Chick and Old-Auntie themselves.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Effused with affection and wisdom, this thoughtful collection of stories about a very special relationship is certain to be shared and shared again.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Gentle, affectionate, and child-centered with some lovely turns of phrase and on-target dialogue...From the green-checked endpapers to the blue-washed star-filled sky on the final spread, Little Chick is a joy to behold and will find a treasured place in most collections.
—School Library Journal (starred review)