Six little chicks

While Mother Hen is peacefully sitting on her egg, a hairy, scary big bad fox is on the prowl. When Owl and Goose raise the alarm, Mother Hen says QUICK QUICK QUICK! and her five chicks scurry inside the chicken hut while she goes CLICK CLACK CLICK out the door to have a good look around. Vibrant panels and sunny full-bleed pages render each animal's body movements as they hop, swoop, cheep, and strut across the page. Dramatic full-page spreads show close-ups of the green-eyed fox with his vivid-orange head squeezed through the door, grinning and snapping his jaws wide in toothy anticipation. In a comical denouement, the clever chicks figure out a way to outsmart the fox. A satisfying head count at the end means all is well as the sixth bright-yellow chick cracks his way out of his egg. Author-illustrator Alborough offers up a fast-moving read-aloud and a fun way for young children to practice counting.--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2010 Booklist

PreS-A mother hen keeps a close eye on her young chicks while she sits and waits for the last egg to hatch. She's warned that the "big bad fox" is lurking around the chicken coop and she's torn between keeping her five offspring safe while awaiting her sixth, and children are sure to be concerned that there may be fewer than six little chicks by the end of the story. Told in rhyming couplets, this tale of vigilant neighbors and one particularly innovative hatchling will keep youngsters entertained with its lively repetition and captivating illustrations. The text varies in size and font, creating an exciting story that begs to be read aloud. Brightly colored gouache paintings from small vignettes to full spreads exude energy as the nervous hen and her naive chicks deal with the threat. Plenty of action words, will encourage listeners to join in the action. A winning offering.-Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.