This third book in the Chicken Squad series finds the investigative team of Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie trying to solve a mystery involving a box made of wood and wire that has appeared in the yard. Dirt, whose mix of no-

What is that new structure in the corner of the yard, and who lives there? In their third misadventure (The Chicken Squad; The Case of the Weird Blue Chicken), the goodhearted, demented poultry quartet investigates. Soon the mystery turns into an altruistic, if daft, rescue mission. Cronin is a master of comic misunderstandings, and Gilpin rises admirably to the challenge.

Gr 1-3 The short, fuzzy, yellow chick detectives are back for another misadventure in this lip-bitingly funny series entry by the author of The Trouble with Chickens (HarperCollins, 2011), which stars the chicks' ex-police dog pal, J.J. Tully. As in past installments, the hard-boiled Tully introduces readers to Barbara's backyard and the motley crew of pet chicks who spend their days investigating oddities, devising plans, staking out suspicious characters, and generally causing an adorable ruckus. Once again, know-it-all Sugar leads the way, roping her siblings into spying on a strange new box in the yardcould it be a shark?! Though levelheaded Dirt drolly deduces that their new neighbor is a rabbit, Sugar, Sweetie, and Poppy are convinced that the new creature is up to no good. When the hatch door is found open, the squad goes on a search-and-contain mission, armed with marshmallows. Gilpin's comically expressive black-and-white drawings pepper almost every page, and the typeface is generously sized, making this an ideal series for newly independent readers. The slight sarcasm, witty banter, and sly observations in the style of old-time noir films will have adults chuckling right alongside kid readers. VERDICT This volume, along with the previous books in the series, is an essential purchase for chapter book collections. Kiera Parrott , School Library Journal

In this droll story, four little chicks use their new spy kits (observation logs, binoculars, fake mustaches, and string-of-marshmallow belts) to investigate a mystery, namely, what animal lurks in the new backyard cage? A thunderstorm tests their survival skills, but in the end, the mystery is solved. An introduction and an epilogue contributed by canine detective J. J. Tully frame the story and introduce the four main characters. Readers may find themselves returning to those introductory pages to sort out, say, which chick is Sugar and which is Dirt (not to mention Poppy and Sweetie). Whether the fuzzy yellow siblings are slinging gumshoe lingo or just squabbling, the dialogue is amusing. Ramping up the comedy, the grayscale illustrations are at their riotous best once the chicks go into action in full camo mode, wearing their mustaches and marshmallow belts. Another amusing addition to the Chicken Squad series of beginning chapter books.