THE LITTLE RED HEN

One feckless, lazy citizen of the farmyard after another is revealed in this well-crafted, amusing novelty. Yes, this is the same tale of the Little Red Hen who tries to enlist help in sowing, harvesting, and milling the corn to bake her bread. No one is interested; mostly hidden behind flaps—though exposed appendages give them away to both the LRH and the reader—are the lazybones: a turkey cleaning his nails, a cat lolling in the sun, a duck in the muck. Here, rather than blandly getting on with her drudgery, the LRH has a few choice words with her idle mates: “Hello Catty. You’ll help me water the corn, won’t you?” “Eh? Not me Henny, I’m far too busy!” “Busy doing what?” These zingers keep the traditional LRH’s plodding sanctimony at bay, while the lush, character-filled art vivifies the timeworn tale. If self-righteous versions of this story find you hoping the hen chokes on her bread, Allen’s will have you hoping it’s delectable. (Picture book. 2-5)