CHICK CHAT

“Baby Chick has a lot to say,” but not everyone has the time to listen—until Baby Chick comes across an unexpected listener.

As Baby Chick happily twirls a spoon through a bowl full of worms and peep, peep, peeps away, an overwhelmed older sister begs, “Make it stop.” Mama is too busy to chat, Papa is working, and Sister is reading. So Baby Chick chats alone, until: “Thunk!” Baby Chick unearths a big, round egg. As Baby Chick looks after the egg, keeping it “safe, and warm, and up-to-date on barnyard news,” Baby Chick peep, peeps, peeps on, “until Baby Chick was peeped out.” After a moment of tension when Baby Chick wakes up to find the egg gone, young readers can rest easy. The egg has hatched, and though “Baby Chick’s new friend didn’t have a lot to say…that was perfectly okay.” Baby Chick is surrounded by clouds of printed Peep!s throughout the story; these are full of movement indicating unabashed joy. Saturated, summery colors and black-outlined figures lend vibrancy to the story. The text is further enhanced by well-placed, but not overdone, chicken-related puns: Sister is reading A Coop of One’s Own, and when she takes Baby Chick to bed, she suggests “Let’s hit the hay, Baby Chick.” (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.2-by-17-inch double-page spreads viewed at 50% of actual size.)

A sweet story told with gentle humor.