LITTLE CHICK

Does the world need another charming picture book about an adorable baby chick? Maybe not, but that won’t keep young listeners from loving this sunny set of three brief vignettes. Veteran writer Hest packs plenty of emotion and humor into the deceptively simple text as she brings to life Little Chick’s enthusiasm and impatience as well as her wise Old-Auntie’s love and counsel. The author manages the delicate task of tempering Little Chick’s outsized expectations without crushing her spirit, a feat that may be more valued (or at least noticed) by adults than kids. Adult readers will likely also appreciate that whether she’s wishing her carrot would grow bigger faster, working hard to raise her leaf-kite into the sky or stretching to pluck a star from the sky, Little Chick remains genuinely childlike without being cloyingly sweet or precociously clever. Jeram’s loose, sketchy illustrations, created in pencil and watercolor, keep the two main characters front and center while providing just enough detail of the pleasant, pastoral setting. Warmly familiar and enchantingly fresh. (Picture book. 3-6)