Published by Pixel + Ink

Summary:  Chirpy is an adventurous chicken, who, unlike her siblings, wonders about life outside the coop.  One day, the kids who feed the chickens leave the gate open for a minute, and Chirpy sees her chance.  She escapes from the coop and ends up following the kids on to the school bus.  At school, she’s fascinated by lessons on simple machines and counting by twos.  Returning home, she discovers that her brother Clucky has followed her lead and escaped the coop.  A fox is rumored to be on the loose, and the chickens are anxious to help Clucky get safely home.  Chirpy uses her new STEM skills to lead a team of chickens in making a fox trap.  When Clucky comes running with the fox hot on his tail, the chickens spring into action and trap the fox under a basket.  Safely back at home, they congratulate Clucky and name her The Great Mathemachicken.  Includes instructions for making a wheel-and-axle whirly-swirly toy.  96 pages; grades 1-3.  

Pros:  With 11 chapters, this will make beginning readers feel like they’re reading a “real” chapter book, yet the large font and plentiful illustrations make it a manageable task.  Chirpy is a bold heroine who proves the value of learning about STEM topics.

Cons:  I struggled to spell “mathemachicken”.

February 3, 2022 at 04:01PM Janet Dawson