The Chicken Thief (Stories Without Words)
PreS-Gr 1–The book opens with a group of animals waking up to a beautiful morning in their small house in the woods. But is that a fox lurking in the bushes? And does he have his eyes on a pretty white chicken? It is, and he does. The chase scenes that follow show a bear, rabbit, and rooster in tireless pursuit of the speedy fox with the chicken held tight in his arms. They go from the forest through the mountains until finally they reach the sea. The story closes with a surprise that kids will love. The pages are wide but not at all high, and the spreads have no white space. This layout is a great showcase for the wonderful paintings, which are full of movement, drama, and a quietly goofy form of comedy. The colors and sense of light are lovely, especially when the clear green of the forest sets off the orange fox and his little captive. A delightful wordless story.Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL© Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.