All by Myself!

January 30, 2012
In this anything but homespun story about farmyard chicks—the typography and design have an unexpectedly crisp feel—Anthony’s mother has left him “all by myself” in the chicken coop. All alone except for his fellow chicks Ivan, Lily, Leonard, and Shirley, that is. The chicks worry about all the things that might prevent their mother hens from returning; worrywart Shirley howls with fear about the fox that the chicks imagine might come to get them. “I can’t take it anymore!” she shrieks. “He’s going to eat us alive!” “Stop it, Shirley!” the others tell her, exasperated with her histrionics. But despite the chicks’ worst fears, the hens return promptly with grain, which Anthony insists on eating “all by myself!” The presence of the other chicks means that Anthony is never completely on his own, and the suspense stays strictly manageable. Added visual novelty comes from the chicks themselves, which Saudo has fashioned from smooth pebbles painted yellow, then photographed and embellished with delicate digital features. Collet’s well-developed characters and lively dialogue provide a read-aloud pick-me-up. Ages 3–6.

April 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 2-When the hens leave the coop to find grain for their chicks, the babies fret about dark skies, foxes, and being alone. But when the mothers return with bags of grain, the youngsters get their own bibs and feed themselves. Originally published in France, the book has themes of independence and cooperation that translate nicely. The mixed-media collage illustrations are of particular interest, as readers and listeners can detect and look for shredded paper, miniature photographs, burlap, chicken wire, digital elements, and more. The text layout is as unique as the art, consisting of words that differ in size, color, placement, and style. Though the story will appeal to a very young audience, the visual elements will interest a wider range of readers.-Lindsay Persohn, University of South Florida, Tampa

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2012
When Mama's brood is left alone, chick imaginations run wild. The wee narrator (identified with a little white arrow and the modest word "Me") begins to cry when Mama leaves the coop to go pecking for grain. And so do siblings Ivan and Lily and Leonard and Shirley, all in a row. The worry soon escalates to a frantic speculation that she may never come back! (The page turns black, with only wings and eyes visible.) And what will they do if a fox comes?! (One chick becomes a caped crusader while the others hold up signs intended to scare the predator away.) A sudden noise sends them all into a frenzy! But it's just Mama, back with dinner. She has special eating instructions for each of her babies, and readers learn that the narrator is called Anthony. He's also apparently the youngest, because he wants to be just like his brothers and sisters, and eat very quickly, all by himself. Saudo's stylish chicks look like golden M&Ms; their feet and wings are see-through and outlined in white. Her illustrations are full of quirky, mischievous touches sure to bring smiles. This superlatively cute look at the bond between mother and child takes a proud place next to Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson's Owl Babies (1992). (Picture book. 3-5)

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July 1, 2012
After Mama goes off to hunt for grain, a chick feels "all by myself," the joke being that he's actually in the company of four other chicks who are also temporarily motherless. The friends' thrilled panic is cute, but the story seems to exist to serve the unconventional mixed-media art, whose chicks resemble yellow eggs with yolk-like bellies.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)