Rooster's Revenge (Stories Without Words)
This wordless story, the final in the Fox and Hen trilogy, is bittersweet. When rooster sets sail with bear and rabbit, leaving fox and chicken behind, his expression says it all: he is not pleased. A storm causes the trio to wash ashore, where they encounter a cave and, in it, a glowing orb. Rooster takes the curious thing under his wing and is shocked when it hatches. Rodriguez’s ink-and-wash characters are wonderfully expressive as they convey both sorrow and joy, and her humor works on multiple levels. A poignant look at heartbreak and happiness. Preschool-Grade 2. --Ann Kelley