I Bought a Baby Chicken [Hardcover]

Kelly Milner Halls (Author), Karen Stormer Brooks (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A pigtailed girl buys a cute yellow chick at the general store and triggers a poultry-buying spree, in arithmetic progression, by nine members of her family: "My cousin hollered 'Gimme some!' and carried five away./ His sister got six white ones 'cause she had to have her way." Ultimately, "fifty or more" (actually, 55) chicks take up residence throughout the heroine's house, leading her to observe, "I guess my family's lucky that I didn't want a cow!" One quibble: the numerals and addition that drive the text don't get any visual play. This country tale is chipper and sunny from beginning to end, thanks to Halls's (Dino-Trekking) rhymes with the meter of a square-dance caller, and the gently skewed perspective of Brooks's (The Always Moon) cartooning. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K-This attempt at a bouncy counting rhyme falls flat. The verses clump along in a singsong rhythm as a girl buys a baby chick at the general store and each member of her extended family successively chooses one more until great-grandpa picks out 10 chicks for a grand total of "more than fifty head." No numerals are shown, weakening the title's use as a counting book. The colorful pictures are lively and busy with detail as the new family additions populate the house. The cartoon characters, drawn with big heads and thin necks, energetically gather up the chicks, adding to the slapstick antics. Children will find the idea of chickens overrunning the house humorous, and a two-page spread of the kitchen aptly illustrates the silly situation. Despite the funny punch line, "I guess my family's lucky I didn't want a cow," there are many better rhyming stories and counting books available, making this an additional purchase.
Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563978008
• ISBN-13: 978-1563978005
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #62,907 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

For the past 15 years, Kelly Milner Halls has crafted high interest nonfiction books and articles for young readers. Known for quirky but well researched topics, Halls delights in drawing even reluctant readers into the realm of discovery through the explorations of dinosaurs, Sasquatch, UFO's or dozens of other unusual themes. She makes her home in Spokane, WA with two daughters, one Pug, too many cats and a 4 foot iguana named Gigantor. She speaks at schools and conferences all over the country. Halls also works as YA novelist Chris Crutcher's assistant.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Denver Post, April 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: I Bought a Baby Chicken (Hardcover)

"I Bought a Baby Chicken" is a cute story and a subtle counting book. During a family trip to the general store, the narrator sees a little chick and decides to buy it. Her sister picks up two black chicks, her dad likes three striped ones, and before you know it, the whole family - cousins, grandparents, great-grandparents - has gone cuckoo for chickens. "I guess my family's lucky that I didn't want a cow," concludes the narrator, who'd better hope her family doesn't suddenly develop a hankering for friend chicken or buffalo wings. Karen Stormer Brooks' google-eyed illustrations are as silly as the story. (by Claire Martin).

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Clever and Good Humored Kelly, April 7, 2000

By 

lee tabin (Northfield Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Bought a Baby Chicken (Hardcover)

This little counting book in charming verse by Kelly Milner Halls is exactly the sort of thing to brighten up a child's day or your own. Kelly gives the little story gentle excitement which will stimulate a child and charm an adult. It is the kind of little morsel I would want to grace a coffee table forever. I also thought the illustrations unusual and darling.

Many will ask just what can one do with a counting book, but Kelly has managed to do something new while staying within comfortable and familiar bounds.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fellow mom pipes up, March 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: I Bought a Baby Chicken (Hardcover)

Just add sound effects of your own (and get your child doing the same) and you'll get an idea of the delight on tap in this terrific read-aloud. Charming and childlike with the kind of warmth that'll have kids begging for re-reads.