A likable little chick in a multispecies classroom, Lily has her strong points. She is "a careful colorer, a patient puzzler, and the quietest hide-and-seeker," but she is also, well, . . . chicken. She is reluctant to raise her hand in class and resistant to trying new foods in the lunchroom. When the teacher announces a Grand-Slam Poetry Jam, her classmates are wildly enthusiastic, but not Lily. Still, after brooding about it, she hatches a plan. With encouragement from her friends, Lily writes a poem and reads it aloud on stage e small step for a shy, careful chick. The straightforward text includes a number of chicken-themed puns to amuse kids, while offering an unstated, encouraging message about the possibility of change. Crittenden's gentle pen-and-ink drawings with watercolor washes lend the story an accessible, cartoonlike look. Every classroom has it shy kids, but this picture book thrusts one into the spotlight and lets her shine.

K-Gr 2 Lily is literally and figuratively a chicken. The timid chick will only ride her bike with training wheels, never raises her wing in class, and refuses to try anything new. Filled with seamlessly incorporated poultry puns and idioms, the story follows Lily as she tries to get out of participating in her class's poetry jam. "What if she sounded like a complete birdbrain? What if she fell flat on her beak? What if she laid an egg?" When she can't avoid it any longer, Lily gets down to business and writes her poem, but will she find the courage to read it out loud? On the surface, this is a slight story about overcoming fear and trying new things. However, the wordplay makes this title a good choice for classroom use as well. The watercolor, pen, and ink illustrations are large and, well, cute. Lily's classmates are all friendly and happy, and Lily's face is expressive. VERDICT A good choice for schools and public libraries. Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA