When detective chicks Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie post a flier on a backyard tree, a little blue jay (aka Weird Blue Chicken) comes to the coop asking them to find her missing birdhouse. After interrogating their client, Dirt and Sugar start sleuthing, a process resulting in a little action, a moment of terror, and lots of laughs. This second book in the Chicken Squad series has several attractive features for young readers: the amusing story is relatively long (120 pages) but easy to read, with large type, short sentences, wide-spaced lines, and plenty of appealing illustrations. A funny beginning chapter book.

When chicks Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie (The Chicken Squad) post a flyer advertising their services--finding lost things, fixing broken things, getting clients out of trouble, or bringing trouble to them--a number of mysteries collide. Full-page black-and-white illustrations and spot art escalate the characters' personalities. This early-chapter-book mystery allows new readers the satisfaction of being savvier than its featherbrained characters.

Gr 2-4 The four intrepid chicks, plus one deadpan dog detective, are back in their second adventure, this time confronted by the titular blue bird who needs help solving a horse-napping. Once again, Cronin's slapstick humor and Cornell's charmingly goofy illustrations create a winning tale that will leave young readers in stitches. This delightful series is a must-own.