LITTLE CHICKEN CHICKEN
by David Martin & illustrated by Sue Heap
Martin (Bring the Children, 1992, etc.) creates a spunky little fowl with big ideas; a circus is her answer to a scary storm in this ebullient work. Little Chicken Chicken is often teased about her moments of make-believe by the other chickens in the coop. For her, a small string becomes a tightrope, dark stones ``fell out of a thundercloud,'' and a glass bead is a piece of lightning. But when a real storm threatens the coop, Little Chicken Chicken uses her found treasures to perform in a Thunderstorm Circus, calming everyone down. By storm's end, she is a star and an inspiration to all. Heap's bug-eyed chickens have been affectionately drawn, and thoroughly enliven a work that celebrates the power of imagination. (Picture book. 3-6)