School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Mother Hen and her seven chicks are hanging the laundry one sunny morning when neighborly Mrs. Duck observes that one chick is missing. Goat, Sheep, and Dog help to search the premises before being joined by the firefighters and the police on the ground and in helicopters. Amid all this noisy commotion, the missing chick wakes up from its napping spot in the laundry basket. A relieved Mother Hen finishes her original chore and heads inside with her brood, her laundry basket now empty. But the sleepy chick nods off again-this time in the folds of an apron just hung on the line, a visual joke that even the youngest listeners will appreciate. The story's simple premise, just-enough page-turning tension, and comical watercolor and ink illustrations add up to a gentle and satisfying tale that will hold up to repeated readings.-Kathleen Finn, St. Francis Xavier School, Winooski, VT Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Although Gorbachev's (Turtle's Penguin Day) whimsical characters are more original than the accompanying text, children who worry about getting lost will find the ending to this simple story extremely satisfying. When the excitable Mrs. Duck points out that one of Mother Hen's seven chicks is gone, the entire neighborhood comes together to find it. Expert watercolor and pen drawings produce an amusing cast-uniformed police dogs, a detective cat, eager beaver firefighters and a plethora of folksy neighbors in overalls and layered skirts. The book's strength rests less in its plot than in the visual details that invite subsequent readings. On nearly every page, increasing numbers of professionals with sirens, flashlights, helicopters, ladders, vehicles and walkie-talkies swarm Mother Hen's house with stoic determination, in contrast to Mrs. Duck's laments ("It's awful, awful, awful!"). Mrs. Duck loudly runs amok until she finds the seventh chick sound asleep in the laundry. A parting image that shows a baby chick asleep in an apron hanging from the clothesline suggests that another search will begin soon. Ages 3-5. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Mother Hen, out hanging laundry, becomes frantic when Mrs. Duck points out that six--not seven--chicks are assisting. The neighbors, police, and fire department get involved. Eventually, the errant chick is found snuggled in the laundry basket. Given the rather alarming premise, the story's happy ending (never really in doubt, thanks to the cheery ink and watercolor illustrations) is great consolation. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
A napping chick throws the neighborhood into chaos. Mother Hen is quick to brag about her seven helpful chicks when Mrs. Duck drops by for a visit. But when Mrs. Duck points out that there are only six chicks helping, she sets off a search for the missing chick, starting with the house but quickly escalating to calling in the police, the firefighters and a search helicopter. All this noise wakens the sleepy missing chick, who was in the laundry basket all along. Readers will chuckle at Mrs. Duck's parting words: "Don't get lost again, little chick!" No sooner does the chick respond then he is falling asleep yet againthis time in an apron pocket. Gorbachev's softly rendered watercolors take some of the edge off the panicky situation. While the characters' body langauge speaks volumes, their facial expressions are primarily monotone, however. The building suspense and happy ending combine to make this a good springboard for "what if" conversations, but the paucity of story line and sameness of illustrations make this an additional purchase. (Picture book. 4-6) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
