Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 1-3. An arrogant rooster gets his comeuppance in this British import about barnyard society. Rooster agrees to post the chickens' party notice, but he crosses out the all welcome and adds by invitation only. It's a party for clean, neat animals, he tells himself, and he snootily informs each barnyard character why it isn't invited: duck is too drippy, pig is too muddy, and so on. Luckily, the animals learn of Rooster's social treachery and treat him to liberal doses of free-flying muck before decamping to their own party, to which they graciously invite contrite Rooster. Divided smoothly into short chapters, O'Brien's even, clear text tells an entertaining story about accepting differences that is both lively and basic enough for emerging readers. Archbold's scribbly watercolor-and-ink drawings, reminiscent of James Stevenson's work, further extend the strong characters in comical scenes of pompous Rooster and the joyful, messy party, where everyone accepts each other's differences and learns to get along. Another strong I Am Reading title. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
