Chick-O-Saurus Rex

A factoid from evolutionary biology--that chickens are T. rex's closest living relatives--provides a distinctive angle to a story about bullying from this husband-and-wife team (she's the author of the YA novel Level 2; he's the illustrator of Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten?). Daniel Jennewein's digital drawings show scrawny, earnest Little Chick staring longingly at the neighborhood tree house, presently occupied by an obnoxious trio: Little Donkey, Little Sheep, and Little Pig. "This is a club for the brave and mighty," they sneer. "So tell us, what mighty things can chickens do?" A search turns up a paleontologist grandfather and traces of an ancient ancestor said to lie buried nearby. "Can we go there? Please?" Little Chick pleads with his father, and the two uncover a gigantic T. rex skeleton. Armed with the knowledge of his terrifying sire--and a giant bone--Little Chick proves his bravery. While the story doesn't offer a real-world bully solution, its premise is easy to understand and (more notably, perhaps) it takes the principle of evolution as the quiet, undisputed basis for all that happens. Ages 4-8. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Foundry Literary + Media. (July)

K-Gr 2--Little Chick longs to play in the tree house, but the entrance is guarded by three bullies. Little Donkey, Little Pig, and Little Sheep insist that only the brave and mighty can belong to their club and put up a "No Chickens Allowed" sign. So Little Chick searches for an impressive relative. His dad helps him discover a picture of Grandpa Rooster and a fossil and tells him that legend has it that an ancient ancestor is buried beyond the farm. Wearing their pith helmets and holding pickaxes, father and son dig one hole after another until they discover a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton. Renaming himself Chick-o-Saurus Rex, the chick hurries back to the tree house and rescues the bullies from a hungry wolf. His brave act wins him acclaim and opens the tree house to all the farm animals. The cartoon artwork uses simple lines and bright colors. An author's note explains that paleontologists have confirmed that chickens really are T. rex's closest living relative. Dinosaur-loving youngsters will warm to Little Chick, whose courage has nothing to do with his size.--Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN