The Chickens Build a Wall

Dumont (A Blue So Blue) crafts a clever barnyard commentary on protectionism, xenophobia, and overreaction. The appearance of a hedgehog, an animal never before seen on the medievalesque farm where the story takes place, brings life to a halt and starts the rumor mill churning, especially after the animal "curl[s] up into a tight ball, to the astonishment of everyone." The hedgehog soon disappears, as mysteriously as it arrived, but the chickens remain ill at ease. "I bet he didn't leave empty-handed," says one. "We should count our chicks!" shouts another. The rooster uses the situation "to take control of a barnyard of full of hens who hadn't been paying much attention to him," persuading the hens to work through the winter to build a giant wall to keep out "prickly invaders." Adult readers won't have to look hard to spot parallels to contemporary discourse on immigration and other hot-button topics, and the target audience will easily see the chickens' folly thanks to a drily funny ending and the comedy that runs throughout Dumont's prose and sly characterizations. Ages 4-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2013 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Gr 1-3-This contemporary parable teaches about the repercussions of intolerance and xenophobia. When a hedgehog appears on the farm, he startles the barnyard animals, who have never seen the likes of one before. While some animals don't see what the fuss is about, the chickens panic, and the rooster suggests they build a wall around the henhouse to keep out this unfamiliar creature. They erect a huge edifice, only to discover that they have forgotten to include a door, and thus have immured themselves along with the hedgehog. After wintering with him, they get used to the little creature, dismantle the wall, and let him stay. The style and palette of Dumont's predominantly double-page illustrations are reminiscent of Henry Cole's in Leslie Helakoski's Big Chickens (Dutton, 2008), but with less obviously cartoonish shenanigans. The friendly looking animals and the bright colors of the pictures lend the serious subject of this tale a more child-friendly tone, especially given the lengthy text. The audience will most likely miss the strong political undercurrent of the story, such as the downright dictatorial depiction of the rooster towering over the crowd of chickens. However, the message about learning about the unfamiliar rather than fearing it is an important one, and this book handles it well.-Yelena Alekseyeva-Popova, formerly at Chappaqua Library, NY.

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.