A perfect Rx for convalescents and other fractious youngsters, this reassuring book makes a case of the dreaded chicken pox seem almost like recreation. Mother Hen and her adorable Baby Chick, last seen in Hatch , Egg , Hatch! , cope valiantly when Baby Chick wakes up one morning covered with the telltale spots--which are represented on one spread by real sandpaper. Instructed not to scratch, Baby Chick desperately seeks relief. Mirrored by his sympathetic toy bunny, he stands on his head and flaps his (movable) wings--"fly away, spots!"; bathes with a (tangible) sponge; applies an (actual) Band-Aid; etc. Varied pop-ups and other forms of paper engineering engage the reader and, at the same time, extend the antic mood of Cony's unusually expressive yet uncomplicated illustrations. The touch-and-feel surprises seem made-to-order for readers who, like Baby Chick, struggle heroically to keep their hands busy doing something other than scratching. A catchy concept. Ages 2-5.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Strongly reminiscent of Eric Hill's "Spot" books (Putnam) in size, format, style, typeset, and layout, this title follows the exploits of Baby Chick, who awakens one morning with chicken pox. His mother tells him not to scratch; that's the last readers see of her until bedtime. In the meantime, the sick chick tries to make the spots fly away, wash them off, paint over them, cover them with Band-Aids, make a home for them in a Pox box, and scare them away. By then it's time for bed, and the next morning the pox are gone. Young children who have had this ailment will empathize with Baby Chick; for those who haven't, the book could be used as an introduction to the inevitable. The lift-the-flaps and pull-tabs add strong appeal to the double-page spreads, and the succinctly told story will keep listeners' attention. This is an attractive but short-lived item; because of its fragile nature, it may be best left for parents and relatives of young chicken pox sufferers to buy as a sympathy gift.
Denise L. Moll, Lone Pine Elementary School, West Bloomfield, MI
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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