PAISLEY & PECK

A dramatically inclined young chicken has an identity crisis.

Paisley the pig and Peck the chick are both square pegs on their farm. Paisley’s a bit fancier than his fellow hogs—a gourmand among trough feeders—and Peck wants to be anything but a living alarm clock when he grows up. When Peck, Paisley, and their mouse pal Turnip discover that chickens evolved from dinosaurs, Peck decides to run with this idea. At first he attempts to impersonate a fierce T. rex, roaring, squawking, and causing a ruckus. When it becomes clear that the little chick isn’t fierce enough to be a mighty thunder lizard, Peck pivots to personifying a friendly dinosaur, imitating the Barney surrogate he spots on the farmhouse TV. The enterprise is played for comedic effect, leaning heavily on Peck’s chirpy cuteness and blossoming self-confidence while poking fun at Paisley’s increasing exasperation with the miniature monster he’s unleashed. Similar to popular pairs such as Elephant and Piggie or Narwhal and Jelly, the lightly sardonic yet ultimately affectionate relationship between the protagonists will feel familiar and fun. Deas’ illustrations match the story’s playful energy, setting jumpy, erratic Peck and well-mannered Paisley against a comfortable backdrop of muted farmhouse tones in yellows, greens, and reds.

A jokey, spirited barnyard yarn.