SOMETHING WONDERFUL

Little Hen does not think that she is special in any way until one day she decides that she will do “Something Wonderful.” Little Hen is not an award-winning chicken of particular breeding. She is not particularly large or interesting, and the other chickens waste no time in reminding her of these shortcomings. The farmer’s wife encourages her, saying, “Small creatures can do wonderful things. Look at spiders.” One particularly hot day, all of the chickens go into the woods to cool off and nest. All the other chickens leave their eggs in the forest and return to the farm. Little Hen stays with the eggs through driving rain and terrible winds. Her perseverance is rewarded with the hatching of five young chicks. As she returns to the farm, the farmer and his wife run out to greet her and congratulate her on the wonderful thing that she has done. Brightly feathered chickens and a wonderful mix of layouts make the paintings that illustrate this tale come alive. The climactic hatching of the chicks is wonderfully rendered on a double-page spread, leaving the reader smiling along with Little Hen as her children are born. The larger-than-life chickens with their incredibly expressive faces would be enough to entice young readers, but this tale of victory by the ordinary is sure to become a favorite. (Picture book. 2-5)