Spunky Girls

Spunky Girls

Picture books
The young protagonist of The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar
County just can't keep her hands off the poultry. Big Mama keeps
warning her that if she keeps driving the hens crazy they won't lay
eggs. She likes eggs, doesn't she? Well yeah, but not enough to
change her ways. Now there is one Miss Hen she has never been able to
catch. Speed, stealth, and trying to think like a chicken don't help
any. She just gets more determined until she discover's Miss Hen's
special secret.
Shelley Jackson's spirited illustrations, a blend of realism and
collage, fit the text perfectly. The young protagonist's face is of
so expressive and those chickens are something else!
Mary Hoffman's Princess Grace gives a very creative ending to
what could have been a tragically stereotyped story. All her young
life Grace has wanted to be a princess. She is over the moon when she
learns that two girls from her class will be chosen to be princesses
in a parade. But what do princesses wear and what do they do other
than looking beautiful?
Well you'll have to read the book and find out.
On a personal note, today was the first really spring like day of the
year. I walked home from Orono without a coat. That felt amazing.
A great big shout out goes out to all the folks enjoying a blissfully
sunny day.
Julia Emily Hathaway




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