P. Zonka is a unique sort of hen. The other hens, though, find her frustrating and deplore her refusal to lay eggs. After all, that's what hens do! Instead, P. Zonka gazes at the sky and exclaims in wonder at the colors of the grass and tulips. At the hens' insistence, she agrees to try to lay an egg, but the egg she produces is not of the typical variety: "There were patterns of sun yellow, grass green, tulip red. There were blues as bright as day and blues as dark as midnight." This ranks along books such as Leo Lionni's Frederick (1968) that celebrate artistic dreaminess over conformity and remind us that good things are worth waiting for. Vibrant watercolors pull our attention to nature's beauty the way P. Zonka sees it: spectacular! In a brief endnote, the author-illustrator explains her inspiration: a Ukrainian tradition of decorating eggs called pysanky.

K-Gr 3 While other hens lay eggs regularly and the rooster crows encouragement, P. Zonka wanders through the farmyard observing the world around her. The hen marvels at the grass and sky and urges her friends to appreciate the flowers. After they persuade her to try to lay an egg, she produces a spectacular multicolored creation, incorporating patterns that she has seen and imagined. The artistic chicken's name is no accident. An author's note explains that a pysanka is a Ukrainian decorated egg. Vibrant watercolor illustrations bring to mind folk-art decor and Chagall paintings. They burst from the pages to draw viewers in to share P. Zonka's delight with the colors and patterns of her world. The oversize format lends itself to read-aloud participation with follow-up decoration of real or paper eggs. Although Paschkis does not mention the tie of pysanka to Easter, those who want to make the connection to another culture's Easter egg painting could also use Katherine Milhous's The Egg Tree , the 1951 Caldecott winner. VERDICT A first-rate selection for most collections. Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

Paschkis presents one possible origin for Ukrainian pysanky. The chickens dismiss P. Zonka as a dreamer, more concerned with flowers, clouds, and the sky's colors than with egg-laying duty. Cajoled into laying an egg, P. Zonka surprises everyone: her egg contains all the colors and shapes she sees in nature. Paschkis's watercolors are filled with repeated patterns and beautiful use of black outlines.