Busy-Busy Little Chick
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- €10.99
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- €10.99
Publisher Description
Ideal for Easter and springtime, an exuberantly illustrated picture book by a New York Times bestselling artist!
Little Chick's mother is all cluck and no action. Mama knows her old nest isn't the cozy home she and her brood need. But whenever she vows to start building a new house, she's distracted—by sweety-meaty worms, crunchy-munchy crickets, or picky-pecky corn. Luckily, her Little Chick is an industrious sort. While the rest of his family are stuffing themselves silly, he's quietly working, bit by bit, day by day.
Janice N. Harrington's retelling of a little-known Central African story is perfectly matched with Brian Pinkney's jazzy depiction of a can-do little critter.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In a Central African tale that turns the story of the Little Red Hen upside down, an affectionate chicken mother fails to build her children a better house, and one of her chicks must do it instead. "Peo-peo," the chicks cry. "We're chilly-cold." Mama Nsoso promises to build them a new house, an ilombe, but is waylaid by "crunchy-munchy, sweety-meaty, big fat worms" and a succession of other treats. Meanwhile, Little Chick gathers grass and twigs "tee-tee-tee" (the glossary explains that this term describes "action that goes on and on"), making a house that delights the chicks and makes Mama Nsoso proud. Pinkney (Sit-In) concentrates on the chunky chickens rather than the African landscape. Using brushes loaded with color, he paints them broadly, drawing Mama Nsoso and her chicks with fat, black ink lines and swashing them with intense reds, oranges, and yellows. Harrington's (Roberto Walks Home) storytelling background and careful investigation of African sources can be seen in the multitude of sound words and Lonkundo vocabulary she includes. Watching Little Chick succeed where his parent has stumbled will thrill young readers. Ages 3 6.
