Review by Booklist Review
Ages 3-5. Two timorous chicks get some timely help in overcoming their fears on a first visit to the playground. The seesaw looks too chancy, the merry-go-round too dangerous, and the swings are definitely out. At the urging of other little ones, the chicks reluctantly climb the slide's ladder--only to freeze at the top. Happily, a helpful beaver allows them to ride down on his tail, and in no time the plucky poultry are going solo, to a chorus of cheers for the "chicken chickens." Gorbachev packs his playground scenes with small, busy animals, leaving Mother Hen out of the picture until the crisis is past--when she rushes in with reassuring concern. Think of this as a noisier alternative to Rita Pocock's more introspective take on the theme, Annabelle and the Big Slide (1984). John Peters
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This sure-fire toddler pleaser finds Mother Hen taking her two little chicks on their debut outing to the playground. Brave the duo is not in fact, they're downright, well, chicken. "No, thank you," the chicks reply when a pair of dogs ask them if they'd like a turn on the seesaw. "We're just little chickens." Ditto to the pigs on the seesaw ("We might get dizzy"), the cats on the swings ("we might fall off") and the frogs and mice on the slide ("it's much too scary"). Finally tempted to the top of the slide, they freeze in fear. "Don't be such chicken chickens!" shout their would-be playmates, until a friendly beaver climbs up to help them. Gorbachev (Goldilocks and the Three Bears) takes a familiar preschool scenario and spins it out with gusto, making hay with the clever "chicken" theme and fashioning a reassuring tale of overcoming fear. His watercolor-and-pen illustrations, with their quiet palette and busy cross-hatching, convey a bustling playground populated by a winsome flock of critters. Just the ticket for any little chicken whose courage could use a boost. Ages 3-5. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-A little dog is flying alone for the first time from Paris to meet her uncle in New York. The story highlights her adventures on the long plane ride-including fellow passengers (all people), airline meals, and movie watching. Young children will understand Lisa's squirming and subsequent accident with her orange juice. The bath on the plane will elicit giggles and the tour of the cockpit is an added plus. The colorful, acrylic artwork is attractive, and Lisa's endearing expressions are priceless. This could be a fun addition to storytime and also for one-on-one sharing. While not necessarily a first purchase, this flight of fancy is loaded with child appeal.-Kay Bowes, Concord Pike Library, Wilmington, DE (c) Copyright 2010. 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
When two young chickens go to the playground for the first time, they're afraid to try the equipment though the other animals invite them to play. But after Beaver gives them a ride down the slide on his tail, they're ready to go sliding on their own. For this reassuring story about a common preschool milestone, the cheerful illustrations show a playground full of busy animal children. From HORN BOOK Spring 2002, (c) Copyright 2010. 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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
This confidence-builder from Gorbachev may put a few bees in the bonnets of youngsters who feel a bit timid around the playground. Brisk pen-and-wash illustrations tell the story of two little chicks and their first visit to the playground. They take a small tour and stand agog before such terrifying marvels as the seesaw, the merry-go-round, and the swings. At each stop, young animals invite them to join in the merrymaking, but the chicks beg off by saying, "We're just little chicks." Until they get to the slide, that is, and they are issued a modest challenge: "We're little too," said the frogs and mice, "but we're not afraid. Come on, give it a try." They scamper up the ladder, but their resolve fails them as they view the great sweep of polished metal from the top. A helpful beaver tells them to hop on his tail and down they ride with a "whee" on their beaks (and their eyes shut tight). A playground act of ice-breaking support is a gift that any child can learn to give. Gorbachev makes the suggestive point without getting preachy, and her two chicks cut such pathetic figures that young readers will be rooting for them from the first. (Picture book. 2-5)
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
