Chickens Have Chicks

Children's Literature

In a simple question and answer format, readers will learn about baby chicks from the egg stage to adulthood. The brief but informative answers discuss how chicks hatch, what newborn chicks look like, what they eat and what they can do. A full-page, captioned, color photograph accompanies each set of questions. The photos show a chick emerging from its shell, a fluffy chick and fully-grown hens. A brief glossary and a few interesting facts are included at the back of the book. A section called, "Want to Know More?" lists other books, web sites, the addresses for the American Egg Board and the United Egg Association, and a recommendation to attend the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, IL. Part of the "Animals and Their Young" series, this title is appropriate for primary grade students and reluctant readers. 2000, Compass Point Books, $13.95. Ages 5 to 9. Reviewer: Sharon Salluzzo

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2-These three volumes are so oversimplified, beginning with their titles, that one may assume the intended audience has neither seen nor heard of these animals. Each book features nine one-page chapters with a full-page color photo on the facing page. Each chapter title asks a question, which the text attempts to answer. Important terms are printed in boldface and defined in the text and in a glossary. However, the presentation, accuracy, and quality of the writing leave much to be desired. Chicks has factual errors. The hen does not peck at the pipped egg to help the chick hatch as stated in the text. The third sentence of Lambs proclaims that, "This book is about lambs-." All three titles are plagued with statements that are presented as absolutes, such as time frames, numbers, diet, and size. The photography is of average quality, and some of the captions are a bit misleading or redundant. This author's "Farm Animal Discovery Library" (Rourke) is a better series, but has a slightly different scope and a higher reading level.-Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.