Review by New York Times Review
FROM AMELIA BEDELIA'S cheery misinterpretations to "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus" and its impertinent bird hoping against hope for the impossible, delusions fuel a certain stripe of hero. Early chapter books - and here we have three by much-lauded children's book authors - offer the perfect bridge between the freewheeling dreams of picture books and the serious narratives of longer fiction. These characters come by their delusions honestly and do not force the issue. And the more we indulge in their scattershot dreams, the more we want to believe in them too. In the case of "The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure," by Doreen Cronin and the illustrator Kevin Cornell (the creators of the J.J. Tully Mystery series), a world-weary retired search-and-rescue dog introduces us to four little troublemakers: Dirt, Sugar, Poppy and Sweetie may look like baby chicks, but they have ambitions far beyond mere scratching and pecking. With dialogue straight out of a '40s film noir, they take on the case of a squirrel who has seen something "big and scary." After some interrogation it emerges that the squirrel has seen something large, circular and noisy (in the squirrel's own words, "it interrupted the atmosphere"). If a chicken can rush to a conclusion a chicken will rush to a conclusion, and these chickens are immediately convinced that a chicken-stealing U.F.O. is in their midst and that it's up to them to take it down. Needless to say, the supposed U.F.O. is a mere barbecue grill, and the chicks' efforts to destroy it ramp up the tale to maximum amusing chaos. Cornell's illustrations give life to the chicks and their individual personalities. Each one pursues his or her own agenda, though they are often united in a common cause. Like four small, fuzzy, yellow Don Quixotes, they see giants in windmills or, in this case, aliens in backyard grills. Don Quixote also certainly comes to mind in the case of Leroy Ninker in "Leroy Ninker Saddles Up," by the Newbery Medal winner Kate DiCamillo, with illustrations by Chris Van Dusen. (The two collaborated on the Mercy Watson series.) Leroy may harbor delusions of grandeur, but they are sweeter, softer yearnings than the chickens'. Leroy isn't having a midlife crisis. He's having a life crisis. Employed at the concession stand of the Bijou Drive-In Theater, Leroy dreams of becoming a cowboy. When Beatrice the ticket seller points out that he lacks the requisite horse, he sets out to procure one immediately. He imagines acquiring an impressive creature he can call "Tornado." What he gets is Maybelline, an old, four-toothed equine who comes with her own set of rules. It's love at first sight. DiCamillo, who is also national ambassador for young people's literature, has always been at her best when dwelling on the good and the bad in relationships between humans and animals, and Van Dusen knows precisely how best to present Leroy to us. Seen here, the incipient cowboy is short and needle-nosed, but displaying that gleam you find only in the eyes of people pursuing their desires. When Maybelline disappears because of his negligence, he must take his fate into his own hands and then he must "wrestle it to the ground." Leroy's possible delusions instead transform him into a man honestly living his dream. We can laugh at how he goes about fulfilling it, but if he's perfectly content at the end of the day, isn't the laugh really on us? DIGBY O'DAY OF "Digby O'Day in the Fast Lane" has a dream as well, but it's less grand than the desire to live life on the range. Possessing a car that he loves just as much as Leroy loves Maybelline, Digby and his best friend, Percy, intend to win the local All-Day Race from Didsworth to Dodsworth. His rival, a saucy little minx named Lou Ella, has the audacity to purchase a new car every year and to mock Digby for sticking with his own beloved jalopy. With permission to go "by any route you choose," what follows is an amusing adventure through the countryside, ending with a lovely pot of tea. It is a very British affair. Digby's tale attempts an exciting feel but unfortunately lacks much in the way of verve. Even the art by Clara Vulliamy (daughter of its author, the beloved English children's book writer and illustrator Shirley Hughes) stays neatly contained within the walls of the story. Both "The Chicken Squad" and "Leroy Ninker" are spinoffs from other popular series, yet both feel as though they are boldly striking out in new directions. Digby, in contrast, meanders about pleasantly, disinclined to do much that would strike a reader as the least bit unexpected. It's charming, but what Digby lacks is the passion that comes with doing what you love. It's the passion that spurs the chickens on to attack backyard equipment while camouflaged in grass clippings. The passion that inspires Leroy to charge through his neighborhood without hat or lasso in his slippery socks to find his missing horse. The passion that will encourage reluctant readers and early readers to keep turning those pages. Pages that will, in turn, help them to create more dreams than delusions, we hope. BETSY BIRD is a librarian and the author of the picture book "Giant Dance Party." She is a co-author of "Wild Things! Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature," published this month.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [September 7, 2014]
Review by Booklist Review
When a terrified squirrel barges into a backyard chicken coop looking for help, four tough little chicks patiently draw out his story and try to figure out what frightened the panicky critter. Deducing that a UFO may have landed in the yard, chicks Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie camouflage themselves with grass clippings and pelt the new (vaguely UFO-like) barbecue grill with rocks in a misguided attempt to rescue Moosh, their mom. Retired search-and-rescue dog J. J. Tully charges in to stop the attack and set things straight. If the characters sound familiar, they appeared in the J. J. Tully Mystery series. Now the four little chicks move into the spotlight for the Chicken Squad series. With its shorter text and larger type, the book will suit somewhat younger readers, those just moving up to chapter books. As in the previous series, some chapters are written in third person, while others are narrated by the dog. Cornell's comical gray-wash illustrations magnify the story's mild humor. An amusing beginning chapter book.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2014 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This loopy mystery kicks off the Chicken Squad series, a spinoff of Cronin and Cornell's J.J. Tully Mysteries that is skewed to even younger readers. Retired search-and-rescue dog turned detective J.J. takes a minor role in this outing, leaving the spotlight to Moosh's four chicks. Though it's J.J.'s job to bail out the trouble-prone chickens, he enlists readers to take over while he naps: "Wake me if they get into any trouble. Well, big trouble. I'm sure you can handle a little trouble on your own." Trouble arrives in the guise of Tail, a terrified squirrel who storms the chicken coop insisting that "something big and scary" is after him. Led by Sugar, who records clues in her notebook, and Dirt, who uses her sketchpad to decipher the shape of the interloper, the chick siblings (camouflaged as clods of grass) and Tail set out to confront what they assume is a UFO. As Cronin and Cornell layer on the silliness, full-tilt slapstick springs from the chicks' banter and Tail's melodramatic ranting. Ages 7-10. Author's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 3-Four chicks-Dirt, Sugar, Sweetie, and Poppy-and their timid squirrel friend, Tail, are out to solve a mystery. Tail claims he's seen something strange and scary. Getting him to come up with a better description, however, is a challenge. Was it a UFO? The Chicken Squad is determined to discover the truth. This may involve a sketch artist, grassy camouflage, a sure knowledge of both shapes and colors, and a frontal assault on the intruder. It will definitely involve an eye-rolling dog, misunderstandings, and chuckle-worthy histrionics. Adam Grupper and Michele O. Medlin go to town in performing the story, creating unique voices for each character and adding just the right amount of verbal grins to the tongue-in-cheek humor. This short chapter book is the aptly subtitled "First Misadventure" of our plucky heroes, and is sure to bring a grin to all listeners.-Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary, Federal Way, WA (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
While retired search-and-rescue dog J.?J. Tully (The Trouble with Chickens, rev. 3/11; The Legend of Diamond Lil, rev. 7/12) takes a little nap, four of the chicks in his charge take the limelight. Before his snooze, J.?J. describes each chick for readers and then puts them on notice: "Wake me if they get into any trouble. Well, big trouble. I'm sure you can handle a little trouble on your own." Of course Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie are in trouble by the next page turn, when a frazzled squirrel bursts into the coop reporting "something big and scary in the yard." Pinning down the specifics of this claim becomes an arduous -- and humorous -- task, but the sleuthing chicks bravely head out to set things right. Fortunately, the commotion rouses J.?J. just in time. Large font, short paragraphs, and straightforward sentences combine with expressive, endearing black-and-white illustrations on almost every page to support new chapter book readers. The zealous Chicken Squad has much to learn before it can solve any mysteries solo, but the chicks' earnest mistakes create more than enough action, entertainment, and mayhem to suffice. julie roach (c) Copyright 2014. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
