STUCK IN THE MUD

Fine fare for children who think grown-ups are big sillies, this cumulative barnyard tale features a chick in a mud puddle and a lengthening string of helpful animals who get stuck trying to pull him out. Responding to the hen’s squawks—“ . . . My poor little chick! / He’s stuck in the mud . . . / and the mud’s deep and thick!”—Cat and Dog, Sheep, Horse and even Farmer run to the rescue, only to find themselves muddy and mired. Parsons’ full-bleed cartoons place the familiar cast in a sunny, spacious, easy-to-recognize setting, and the text is split into short segments just right for uncertain new readers. In a climactic fold-out scene, the chick blithely hops out, having never been stuck in the first place, and cheerily gambols away, chortling “Mud is great fun! / I’m sure you’ll agree. / I love mucky mud—thanks for playing with me!” The puddle doesn’t look all that gooey in the pictures, but this will still make a splash, both with groups and audiences of one. (Picture book. 5-7)