Chickenology

January 29, 2021

Gr 4-6-This picture book aims to cover almost every aspect of chickens in the world, with whimsical illustrations that decorate and inform. Sandri and Giubbilini provide brief captions that are full of accessible information, which could spark further exploration. The text is well organized, with basic facts about physical features and development, chicken breeds and their features, raising chickens and maintaining their health, and mating rituals and reproduction. The text also describes their similarity to dinosaurs and compares their eggs to the eggs of other creatures, such as sharks. Abbreviated folklore stories and symbolism of chickens in history are included. A section on human interactions with chickens explains their popularity as pets and their therapeutic value. There is a lack of information on what to feed chickens, but there are pages on egg preparation, including how many minutes it takes to boil a soft- and a hard-boiled egg. The illustrations will attract younger readers, but the text is written with complex and compound sentences and vocabulary suited to the fourth- and fifth-grade reading level. As an introduction to chickens in a general sense, the readership will find it useful, but may desire more dense and complete information. Source material is not included. VERDICT Looks compelling, but selectors from large libraries will want to assess the need for this title as a springboard for a more complete study.-Nancy Call, formerly at Santa Cruz P.L., Aptos, CA

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January 1, 2021
From Italy, an illustrated introduction to the wonderful world of chickens. While it's not a practical manual for the keeping of chickens, authors Sandri and Giubbilini provide a comprehensive and charming introduction to some of humanity's feathered friends, complete with 71 fully illustrated pages of all things chicken and egg, courtesy of illustrator Pintonato. The trio takes readers through the 5,000-year history of the chicken-human relationship, the spectrum of breeds alive today, and even the question of "the chicken and the egg." Beginning with advice for young readers on how to differentiate between (adult) hens and roosters and identify different types and colorations and feathers and a survey of the inner and outer anatomy of a chicken, the book is a cheerful, if not scientific, overview for curious kids. More-advanced readers may find it lacking in certain areas. In one unnerving illustration, various breeds of chicken are placed next to a "three-year-old boy" with the proportions of a grown man--making the Jersey giant seem giant, indeed. And notably, while an entire section on eggs takes readers through the different parts, colors, and sizes, the various ways eggs are used in kitchens around the world are illustrated--but not explained--and different cultures' approaches to eating chickens for meat are completely absent. There is neither bibliography nor source notes of any kind. A thorough breakdown of all things chickens--for beginners. (Nonfiction. 6-10)

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Starred review from January 1, 2021
Grades 2-4 *Starred Review* Prepare to be fascinated by the varied world of chickens, presented here in charming detail. Rather than only discussing a chicken's development from egg to adult, this book also boasts sections on chicken personality, courtship, and feathers; anatomy, intelligence, and super senses; eggs in the kitchen and around the world; "Chickens and Humans," which inspects chickens in human culture, in addition to raising and caring for these feathered friends; and it closes with a sampling of breeds. Much as Bees: A Honeyed History (2017), by Piotr Socha, approached its subject holistically, this encyclopedia will leave readers with a rounded and respectful view of chickens. The folk art-style illustrations do more than accompany the text, often taking the form of diagrams, charts, and labeled scenes. Readers will get to know chickens inside and out, with science-based spreads tackling everything from molting to mating, comb to cloaca. Of equal interest are the descriptions of chickens as symbols (e.g., rooster-topped weathervanes) and as players in folktales. When it comes to keeping chickens, this book offers a big-picture view of what these birds need to be healthy and happy, but those serious about acquiring a hen or two will need additional literature on the topic. Endearingly dubbing chickens "irresistible companions," this educational overview of all things chicken is bound to hatch some new enthusiasts.

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