Purim Chicken

April 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 2-Cluck the chicken wants to play Queen Esther in the barnyard Purim play, but the role goes to Quack the duck. On the day before Purim, Quack is kidnapped by Fox. Cluck is "brave like Queen Esther," rescues Quack, and gets the starring role in the show after all. While this book, with its theme of a brave heroine, does loosely mirror the story of the Jewish holiday, Purim's history and customs are not explained in the text and there is no author's note, making this book most suitable for audiences already in the know. The naming scheme can be rather confusing; for instance, after Cluck and Quack return to the barnyard, "Quack quack, quack, quacked out the story of Cluck's brave rescue." There are quite a few groan-inducing puns: "'How udderly terrible!' mooed Moo." The illustrations are candy-bright, cheerful, and quirky. VERDICT A light and fluffy Purim tale for readers already familiar with the basics of the holiday.-Heidi Rabinowitz, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 23, 2017
Cuyler’s (Skeleton for Dinner) punny barnyard tale is well suited to the playfulness of Purim. Cluck the chicken is initially disappointed when she is passed over for the role of Queen Esther in the animals’ Purim play, and instead consigned to the audience. But Cluck’s efforts to develop an extra-loud cluck to shout at Haman during the play come in handy after the show’s star, Quack, is duck-napped by a fox. Pinillos’s (Look! Fish!) vibrant, painterly images amplify the off-kilter mood of the plot. Whether the dialogue elicits groans or giggles may depend on the family (“ ‘What bad moos,’ mooed Moo”), but it’s undeniably fun to read out loud. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. Illustrator’s agency: Plum Pudding Illustration.