Mavis the bravest

Mavis, a russet-hued barnyard hen, is also portrayed as a bit of a scaredy cat--and as prior collaborators Fraser and Warburton (One Camel Called Doug) note, she's none too happy about it. " 'Some chickens,' she whispered, 'are filled to the top,/ brimming with bravery and courage nonstop./ But if there was courage inside me... it's GONE!/ And I can't find the switch that turns bravery on!' " But when Mavis, up late knitting, spots a sheep rustler, the prospect of losing her sheep friend Sandra and her source of wool catalyzes the discovery of her own, heretofore unknown, bravery reserves. After sending Marge the chicken for help, Mavis looks deep within herself--then commandeers a tractor, gives chase, and swings herself via hand-knit lariat onto the getaway truck and pecks the thief straight into a stream. This familiar tale of courage unleashed gets bravura visual treatment via moonlit drawings that brim with the comic verve of classic animation. Whether showing Mavis peering down on the crime scene, summoning her courage on a bale of hay, or hurtling through space with a hyper-extended "CLUCCCCKKKKAAA-AAAARRGGGHHH," she's a protagonist rendered with 100% pure pluck. Ages 4--8. (Apr.)

Knitting and bravery go hand in hand in this poultry-rife ode to locating the courage within. Mavis? She's never claimed to be the bravest chicken in the barn. That honor goes to her friend Marge, who urges Mavis to seek out the wide world beyond their safe little yard. But Mavis, snug with her knitting, is happy to stick with what she already knows. After all, to her, everything seems scary. "Nighttime…and daytime…and anything HAIRY! / LOUD things and FAST things and anything WHIZZY!" But when a thief makes off with Sandra the sheep, Mavis finds a well of courageousness inside of herself that she never knew she had. The theft of Sandra doesn't make a great deal of sense except as a necessary plot point; indeed, it's the weakest element of an otherwise enjoyable paean to inner strength. Really, though, it's Mavis' heroic knitting that's the savior of the day, and Warburton's charming art renders both the crafting and the barnyard denizens with equal aplomb (her chickens sport charming knitted tops and colorful handkerchief headwear). The gentle rhyming text comes close to cloying didacticism but remains steady throughout. Both farmer and thief present as white. Evildoers beware! This little chicken is finding her pluck and inspiring kids everywhere to do the same. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.