Overview
What happens at Nuthatcher Farm when the chickens get tired of the same old chicken feed? The rooster hatches a plan! With a pinch of genius, a dash of resourcefulness, and a little pilfering from the farmer's garden, the chickens whip up a scrumptious snack of chips and salsa. When the rest of the barnyard gets a whiff of the spicy smells and want to join in, it can mean only one thing . . . FIESTA! But when the big day arrives, all their spicy southwestern supplies are gone! Could Mr. and Mrs. Nuthatcher have caught on to the flavor craze?
Synopsis
What happens at Nuthatcher Farm when the chickens get tired of the same old chicken feed? The rooster hatches a plan! With a pinch of genius, a dash of resourcefulness, and a little pilfering from the farmer's garden, the chickens whip up a scrumptious snack of chips and salsa. When the rest of the barnyard gets a whiff of the spicy smells and want to join in, it can mean only one thing . . . FIESTA! But when the big day arrives, all their spicy southwestern supplies are gone! Could Mr. and Mrs. Nuthatcher have caught on to the flavor craze?
Publishers Weekly
Not only is this book funny, it's culturally tapped-in-after all, salsa sales now reportedly outpace those of ketchup. When the chickens at Nuthatcher Farm become fed up with their feed, a charismatic foodie rooster shows them how to pilfer tomatoes and onions from the garden and whip up a wicked salsa ("though nobody was quite certain where the chickens got the chips"). And Southwestern cuisine fever soon spreads to the ducks and pigs; within a few pages, they're feasting on homemade guacamole ("though nobody was quite certain where the ducks got the avocados") and nachos. The fad comes to an abrupt end when Mr. and Mrs. Nuthatcher decide they want a piece of this culinary action, but the rooster isn't fazed: he immerses himself in French cookbooks ("though nobody was quite certain where the rooster learned how to read") and discovers his inner Julia Child. Reynolds punctuates his wry, snappy text with the kind of knowing, running jokes that kids love, while Bogan's (Goodnight Lulu) fiesta-bright comic watercolors evoke the spirit of vintage Warner Bros. animation (astute readers will also note that the barnyard mice seem to be the suppliers of the harder-to-find ingredients). Even confirmed macaroni-and-cheese eaters will devour this literary fandango, which winds up with recipes for nachos, "quackamole" and salsa. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Not only is this book funny, it's culturally tapped-in-after all, salsa sales now reportedly outpace those of ketchup. When the chickens at Nuthatcher Farm become fed up with their feed, a charismatic foodie rooster shows them how to pilfer tomatoes and onions from the garden and whip up a wicked salsa ("though nobody was quite certain where the chickens got the chips"). And Southwestern cuisine fever soon spreads to the ducks and pigs; within a few pages, they're feasting on homemade guacamole ("though nobody was quite certain where the ducks got the avocados") and nachos. The fad comes to an abrupt end when Mr. and Mrs. Nuthatcher decide they want a piece of this culinary action, but the rooster isn't fazed: he immerses himself in French cookbooks ("though nobody was quite certain where the rooster learned how to read") and discovers his inner Julia Child. Reynolds punctuates his wry, snappy text with the kind of knowing, running jokes that kids love, while Bogan's (Goodnight Lulu) fiesta-bright comic watercolors evoke the spirit of vintage Warner Bros. animation (astute readers will also note that the barnyard mice seem to be the suppliers of the harder-to-find ingredients). Even confirmed macaroni-and-cheese eaters will devour this literary fandango, which winds up with recipes for nachos, "quackamole" and salsa. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
Solving the problem of his flock's boredom with chicken feed, a resourceful rooster leads the hens to make salsa to spice up their diet. He got the idea and recipe while peering in the farm house window, where the farmer's wife was watching the cooking channel. Of course, the ducks are quick to follow with complaints about their menu, so the rooster helps them to stir up some guacamole. Not to be left to plain ol' slops the pigs require a recipe of their own—nachos. Now the entire farmyard is in full feasting mode and plans are made for a grand fiesta. Much to their dismay "all of their spicy southwestern supplies were gone." The farmer's wife had harvested all of the peppers, scallions, tomatoes, limes, etc. to make a fabulous batch of tamales for the county fair, "Ole!" she shouts as she dances around cooking. While all of this cooking is going on readers are treated to the inside story within a story. An enterprising little mouse has managed to provide the barnyard animals with the extra ingredients they needed to make their yummy, change-of-pace foods. The narrator comments "nobody was quite certain where the chickens got the chips" to dip their salsa. The observant child will be delighted to spot the mouse selling bags of chips to the chickens, wagons full of avocados to the ducks, and importing cheese for the pigs' nachos. Even the bull's sombrero was provided by the mouse entrepreneur. The wonderfully-colorful illustrations could tell the story alone but together with the clever text, a lot of fun is captured in one entirely enjoyable book. The recipes for Hog Wild Nachos, Quackamole, and Rooster's Roasted Salsa are included on the end papers. The dust cover doubles as aposter showing all the animals dining al fresco on a fine feast. 2005, Bloomsbury, Ages 4 to 8.—Sheilah Egan