Henry & the Crazed Chicken Pirates
PreSchool-Grade 2—The Buccaneer Bunnies are a happy lot as they loll and cavort around their island, except young Henry. He discovers a threatening note warning of an impending invasion from some foul fowl and spends all his time preparing for and writing a book on what to do if an attack comes. The rest of the crew barely tolerates the behavior of the distinctively nervous milquetoast. But when Henry wakes up to find his fellow buccaneers captured by crazed chicken pirates, he swings into action by following his book's instructions and saves them. With the defeated fowl put to sea, Henry settles down to write his next book—which turns out to be the one that readers have in hand. The watercolor, gouache, and pencil illustrations give a goofy cartoon elasticity to the characters that perfectly matches the lighthearted plot. Youngsters will cheer for humble Henry, who becomes a hero because he is so carefully prepared. With kids riding high on pirate books, this follow-up toHenry & the Buccaneer Bunnies(Candlewick, 2005) will find a place in most collections.—Marge Loch-Wouters, La Crosse Public Library, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.