Amazon.com Review
Picked on, pecked, and jostled, Daisy the hen is not quite as happy as her Happy Hens market basket might suggest. One evening, fed up with the other pushy hens, Daisy crawls into one of the baskets by the river, and falls asleep. Unaware of the rising river, this put-upon bird winds up floating downstream, past marauding monkeys, snorting water buffalo, and a greedy fisherman. Will Daisy ever make her way back to the home of the little girl Mei Mei and the six happiest hens in all of China? Breaking away from her usual Scandinavian illustrations and stories, Jan Brett embraces the beauty of China in this
Story About Ping-inspired picture book. Bamboo poles frame the lavish illustrations of picturesque villages, strangely shaped mountains (Brett incorporates images of the animals into the ranges), and river-life characters. As in
The Hat and her many other tales, Brett advances the plot with miniature border details. (Ages 4 to 7)
--Emilie Coulter
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Inspired in part by the classic story of Ping, the adventurous young duck on the Yangtze River, Brett's (The Mitten) spirited, intricately illustrated tale centers on Daisy, the smallest of Mei Mei's six hens. Escaping the taunts of the larger hens, the beleaguered creature leaves the henhouse one rainy night to sleep in an egg basket at the edge of the Li River. But soon the rising water reaches the basket, and the current sweeps Daisy downstream. While a distraught Mei Mei searches for her, Daisy encounters (and cleverly escapes from) a dog, a water buffalo and a troop of monkeys before being snatched up by a fisherman who can't wait to sell her at market. Mei Mei's nick-of-time rescue of Daisy will bring smiles to young faces as will Daisy's new status in the hen house. In the main frame of each paneled spread, Brett depicts in fine detail the diverse wildlife and lush vegetation found along the Li, while smaller images in the corners amplify elements of the plot. Incorporating simulated bamboo patterns, basket weaves and painted pottery, the artist's trademark borders and embellishments intriguingly evoke the timeless setting. The elegance of the illustrations gains a touch of whimsy as Brett hides some surprises in the distant mountains. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
