CHICKEN, PIG, COW AND THE CLASS PET

Three toys take an unexpected field trip.

Huddled in close quarters, Cow, Pig and Chicken try to dissect the sounds around them. Readers see that their temporary housing (a makeshift Popsicle-stick barn) confines them to a classroom while their beloved young owner enjoys her day at school. The friends' introduction to the imposing class pet, dubbed Furface by the anxious critters, leads to some wacky interactions (no surprise, as students' signage reveals the hamster's given name as Mr. Crankypants). When the hamster begins to gnaw on their barn, the pals escape in hopes of distracting him. Wry dialogue keeps the tone light. “I am not a salad,” Chicken protests from under a leaf of lettuce as the group tries to lure the hamster to his cage after a fruitless game of fetch. Humorous watercolors splashed against open white backgrounds extend the visual humor, depicting the classroom environment from a toy’s-eye point of view. The three adventurers shove a box of crayons in place to act as stairstep to Furface’s cage; "Push. Grunt," indicates the effort. Human characters fade to the background, pictured, if at all, as a pair of giant hands or from shoulders down.

A lighthearted glimpse reveals how stuffed animals will play when their child (and their teacher) is away.