Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick? by Pat Hutchins
| Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick? by Pat Hutchins | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Lorraine McDonald
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| Summary: Life on the farm can be perilous. Well, it is if you are a chicken by the name of Rosie. She first stepped out in 1968 oblivious to the gauntlet of danger she was walking past. Now she's back for some more slap stick humour and this time she has a chick! 'Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick?' is a dramatic comedy best enjoyed by the under fives and any parent with a taste for illustration with a strong early seventies vibe. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: May 2015 |
| Publisher: Hodder Children's Books | |
| ISBN: 978-1444918281 | |
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Rosie's not the sharpest chuck in the hen house. She made her debut over forty years ago in the 1968 publication, 'Rosie's Walk' when she stepped out alone blithely unaware of always being a hairs breadth away from calamity. Well, she's back, and this time she has a chick. Uh-oh as my toddler would say…let's have a look at 'Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick?'
The illustrations in the Rosie books take me straight back to my childhood. One look and I'm back crouched on the floor of the Coronation style municipal building that housed my local library in a time when librarians still said 'shush' and wore sensible shoes, albeit with the odd platform heel. Proust had his madeleines. I have Rosie. The simple line drawings overlaid with a limited pallet of red/brown/green are as evocative of the early 70's as flares and a three day week.
That was forty years ago. The sequel has been a long time coming. Rosie hasn't got any wiser with age. Whilst the other hens clutch their chicks to their feathery chests, Rosie's egg starts to hatch. Chick clearly takes after Mum as he is unable to remove the top of his shell which is stuck on his head like a helmet. When Rosie loses sight of him she sets off in a panic to track him down. Need I add that she goes in the wrong direction? Or that chick blindly follows? Hapless Rosie is oblivious to the perils of the farmyard that are bearing down on them; the waiting cat, the alarmingly sharp toothed fish and of course, the wily fox from 'Rosie's Walk'. Each threat is inadvertently seen off by Rosie in comedic manner. Little chick lives to burst out of his shell full and go for a walk with his Mum.
For older parents, this book works on nostalgia alone. Under five's are a tougher crowd. Luckily the bright, strong artwork, well developed characters and slap stick visual humour are still as fresh today as they were in the original publication. Harsher critics might point out that this edition is very similar to 'Rosie's Walk' in style, plot and content, perhaps so much so that the differences render it superfluous. A really churlish reviewer might also point out that, of the standard picture book 32 pages, a good few are either blank or filled with information that a two year old is unlikely to find enthralling, namely a note from the author and a collection of critics' sound bites from 'Rosie's Walk'. Yah-boo to them I say. I'll settle down on the shag pile and take a trip down memory lane with my toddler and Rosie.
Rosie is definitely one of a kind however, it sounds like she could meet her match in Mr Chicken. We will try Mr Chicken Goes To Paris by Leigh Hobbs for our next dash of avian antics.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick? by Pat Hutchins at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick? by Pat Hutchins at Amazon.com.
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