The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Blanc, Esther Silverstein , Blanc, Esther Silverstein , Eagle, Godeane ,

Long Johns for a Small Chicken

32 pp. | Volcano | September, 2003 | Trade ISBN 1-884244-23-8 $$16.95

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Tennessee Dixon & Tennessee Dixon. The small chicken of the story is a chick caught in a hailstorm on a farm in Nebraska. The mother of the Jewish pioneer family rescues the little bird and sews him some long johns until his feathers grow back in. Told at a leisurely pace, with plenty of observation and a nod to motherhood at the end, the story is gentle and not flashy, illustrated in realistic monochrome.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam