LITTLE CHICKS

Three little chicks go out into the world.

This sweet, simple book will support young readers’ book-handling and sequencing skills. The first spread shows one chick on the far-right side of the recto, as if leading readers to turn the page. Meanwhile, the other two chicks are still on the verso in the tiny house they share with their chicken parents. The house is depicted in a cross section that shows a hen and a rooster sitting on the top floor while the other two chicks head toward the open door on the first floor to follow their sibling toward the page turn. Ensuing spreads show the chicks running left to right across the pages, passing other birds, going through the rain, and even pausing occasionally. While spare text stays focused solely on the chicks’ progression, other bird characters and details in the colorful, smudgy illustrations invite conversation about what the chicks observe and experience as they doggedly make their way through the book. Near the end, the chicks board a bus for the last leg of their journey before hopping off to run home to their parents. Illustrations now move right to left across the spreads, a design decision that lets the layout convey the structure of the narrative. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A charming tale and wonderful introduction to books for the littlest readers.