The Little Black Hen
Grade 1-4-Alyosha is a good boy who, while at boarding school, saves the life of his favorite black hen. Blackey is actually an ambassador from an underground magical kingdom of little people whose king richly rewards the child with a wish. Unwisely, the boy asks to know all the answers at school without having to study, thus beginning a downward spiral of events in which he becomes arrogant and betrays the little people's secret. This is a somber cautionary tale written in 1829 for the author's nephew, Alexei Tolstoi. The retelling reads smoothly and the illustrations beautifully evoke the era in Russia-detailed architecture and period costumes with a formal, portraitlike quality. The subdued palette of grays, greens, and creams evokes both the melancholy time in history and the tragic events of the story itself. Though this is an unusual fable, and it might be difficult to imagine a child reading it, there is redemption and hope by the end, which students can understand, discuss, and ultimately appreciate.Linda M. Kenton, San Rafael Public Library, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.