My Dog's a Chicken

Lula Mae wants a puppy, but Mama says, "Dog's just another mouth to feed. These are hard times, Lula Mae. You've got to make do." Baby Berry on Mama's hip echoes, unhelpfully, "Make do."

Lula Mae wants a dog so desperately, she starts eyeing the family chickens scrabbling about the house. One is pecking at dirt, some are preening, but the one she wants, white with black spots, is strutting around "like it owned the place": " 'Now, that's my kind of dog!' said Lulu Mae." She names it Pookie. The chicken isn't having any of it, not when the girl clips her red bow to its comb and not when she tries to hold it: "BAWK! BAWK! BAWK!" Papa's dismayed by his daughter's tomfoolery and Mama just keeps saying, "Call it anything you like, but it's not coming in my house." But when everyone's waiting for Baby Berry to echo "My house," there is only silence. Where is Baby Berry!? Fortunately Pookie saves the day and finds him in the chicken coop, which really is something a dog would do. And, lo and behold, guess who gets to come in the house after all.

Debut author Susan McElroy Montanari's vivacious story, with the funny, word-repeating baby, the family's folksy way of talking and plenty of annoyed "BAWK" sounds will make for an energetic story time, and illustrator Anne Wilsdorf's (Sophie's Squash) thoroughly delightful watercolor and China ink illustrations capture the scrappy nature of chickens--and Lula Mae's family, too--with humor and panache. --Karin Snelson, children's & YA editor, Shelf Awareness

Powered by: Xtenit