SUMMARY:
On Nuthatcher Farm the chickens tire of their same old everyday feed and so the rooster takes it upon himself to solve this dilemma. The farmer’s wife is watching a cooking show in what she believes to be the privacy of her own kitchen while the rooster sneaks a peek at the television screen and comes to the tasty resolution of making salsa with chips. The ducks catch wind of the chickens’ exotic feast and now wish to spice up their own tiresome meal with the introduction of guacamole. Next are the pigs who are sick of their slop and decide what they want to eat are nachos. With the new ingredients and supplies spread out amongst the barnyard animals and news that the farmer and his wife will be away at the county fair they come to the conclusion that what they all really need is to throw a fiesta. Unfortunately, the farmer’s wife has taken the growing number of ingredients to use in her tamale recipe leaving the animals with nothing. Not one to dissapoint, the rooster comes in the next morning once again to save the day by finding a French cookbook and making crepes for a satisfying breakfast.
FOR PARENTS:
Chicks and Salsa is a pleasing story of the appreciation of new foods. The words to describe the characters motivations and sensations are unique and lively pushing forward the excitement of the characters and also the reader. Cravings for food are not unlikely and the book will provide interesting ideas for snacks and lunches. Included in the back of the book are the recipes that the animals have used so they can be replicated in the kitchen with children helping in the preparation. Paulette Bogan’s illustrations are very humorous with many sneaky details that are in themselves worth picking the book up. Keep an eye out on every page for the too-cool barnyard rat with the hookup on highly prized ingredients.
FOR TEACHERS:
As a book used for reading instruction there are many elements that can be touched upon. The vocabulary in the book is interesting and varied with many new synonyms that can be used to replace dull evaluative words such as “good”. Also every story ends with a refrain that children can repeat for participation in the story. And depending on the unit or time of the year (or even just because) this book is great as a precursor to a classroom party potluck showcasing many different types of food from around the world.
PERSONAL NOTE:
This is one of my new favorite books that blends together in an amusing way many things I love from unique uses of language, colorful playful images and also food! Bon Appétit!