ELVIS THE ROOSTER AND THE MAGIC WORDS

Elvis gets a pointed lesson in manners from coop-mates in his second solo outing. Swaggering beneath an oversized, pompadour-shaped wattle, he raps out commands to his harem, scorning his buddies’ “please” and “thank you” when the hens serve breakfast. But his ego gets a double whammy when resplendent (and courteous) peacock Chick Gable passes through, turning all the ladies’ heads; suddenly, Elvis is no longer the center of attention, and his brusque demands for breakfast are met with either nothing, or a few kernels of dry corn. Readers will get the message before Elvis does, but with a bit of prodding, even he comes around in the end. The expressively posed poultry in Cazet’s cramped but colorful barnyard scenes add even more life and humor to this engaging episode; steer children who need a little more work—especially with table manners—to the Buehners’ It’s a Spoon, Not a Shovel! (1995) or Cuyler’s Please Say Please (below). (Easy reader. 6-8)