Chicks and Salsa [Paperback]

Aaron Reynolds (Author), Paulette Bogan (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

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?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2–A rollicking story about a rooster that is a little smarter than the average barnyard animal. Farmer Nuthatcher's chickens are tired of their regular feed, and it just so happens that the rooster has been watching cooking shows over the farmer's wife's shoulder. He has some ideas, beginning with chips and salsa. Soon the ducks are inspired and give up fish for guacamole, and the pigs go for beans and chiles. With all of this southwestern cuisine, it's time for a fiesta. It turns out, though, that Mrs. Nuthatcher is making tamales, and all of the ingredients the animals need are gone, so it's time for a new cuisine–from a French cookbook. This story is a fun read, with a refrain and a smooth pattern. Bogan's humorous illustrations keep the action moving, and the pages are filled with saturated color and energy. A definite purchase for any library.–Susan E. Murray, Glendale Public Library, AZ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"Reynolds punctuates his wry, snappy text with the kind of knowing, running jokes that kids love, while Bogan's 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)."  ---Publishers Weekly

 

"Bogan's big cartoon scenes capture the increasing excitement, as well as the general bliss brought on by plenty of pre-fiesta snacking." --Kirkus Reviews

 

"This story is a fun read, with a refrain and a smooth pattern. Bogan's humorous illustrations keep the action moving, and the pages are filled with saturated color and energy. A definite purchase for any library." --School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (May 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599900998
• ISBN-13: 978-1599900995
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #98,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #63 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Farm Animals > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We Love Chicks and Salsa!, December 15, 2005

By 

Tami Coyne (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chicks and Salsa (Hardcover)

My seven year old LOVES this book! The story is clever, unique and FUNNY! The illustrations are wonderful and hilarious. And there are even recipes included, which is great for any enterprising child who wants to whip up some Mexican cuisine. We highly recommend this book!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Every Pig Has His Day: A Very Tasty Book, July 15, 2007

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chicks and Salsa (Paperback)

A pig can eat only so much slop. Fowl may need to part from their feed. Even a duck might tire of fish.

This is the premise of "Chicks and Salsa," a celebration of culinary diversity in general, salsa in particular. The "salsafication" of the farm animals is the brainchild of a rebellious rooster, although there's a rat (literal, not figurative) who--behind the scenes--supplies the ingredients. The rooster is the face of the salsa revolution, but the rat, lurking stealthily on most pages, is the muscle.

Like a great chef or musician, Aaron Reynolds riffs on salsa within a structured format. AS the zest for salsa spreads from one species to another, the recipes change. The rooster and chickens pick farm fresh (naturally) onions and tomatoes, the ducks dine on cilantro and garlic, and the pigs go for beans and chopped chilis. Paulette Bogan gives these mischievous animals distinctive personalities and emotion. She draws a bored chicken like no one else. A pig turns fier red after eating chilis, while another pig proudly juggles them. Bogan's seems to thrive on low-light scenes; the animals become luminescent, and their glow warms the barn and surrounding farmland. Her shadows and shadings use unusual color combinations, and the fiesta preparations are vivid and rich.

Sadly, the fiesta never takes place, as the humans, who finally wake up and smell the animals' spices, seize all the ingredients for a tamale entree entry at the state fair. The conclusion is a little bit abrupt, but it's clever: The rooster sneaks into the kitchen, and with the rat's help shifts from one cuisine to another, becoming a master at crepes. The fiesta turns into something of a salon, and--zut alors--the animals done "French" clothes, a bit of attitude, and share the hors d'ouevres. "Chicks and Salsa" is delightfully entertaining, with mugging animals and other silly stuff alternating with keenly observed humor. The very talented Bogan gives the reader a visual feast on every page; the animals look as welcoming as teddy bears. 34 pages long, with a book cover that can be made into a poster, and three recipes to try: "Hog Wild Nachos," "Quackamole," and "Rooster's Toasted Salsa."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for reading aloud, one minor quibble, September 19, 2006

By 

P. Dussin "funkyperfesser" (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Chicks and Salsa (Hardcover)

My two-year-old loves this book. I like reading it to him. The author has a great ear for alliteration and near alliteration, and there are so many sentences in the book that are just fun to say!

The story is solidly entertaining, and the illustrations, as others have pointed out, have the prerequisite little details (spiders, butterflies, mice, little birds) that little kids love to find.

My only problem is with the end, and it's only as an adult reading the story, and it's really minor, but: I can't stand it that the Rooster prepares a dish with *eggs* at the end!