It's time for Peg and the other chickens to hatch, but she prefers to stay in her shell.When Mama squawks "Time to get CRACKIN', my little chickadees!" all the other chicks begin to break free, except for Peg. Finding herself alone, she starts to stretch until she pops all the way out of her shell. Getting back inside isn't an option (she tries), so off she goes into the big wide world to find her mama and experience a joyful life as a "clucking, strutting, splashing, sunbathing, fun-loving…CHICKEN!" Renfro's delightfully simple, relatable story has an encouraging message: Breaking out on your own can be scary, but there's so much to discover. Peg is an adorable fluffy chick with awkward, jointed legs and enormous googly eyes. The illustrations bring action words to life as Peg twirls, flips, and cartwheels around, half in and half out of her shell. There's plenty to make readers smile, such as an image of Peg (still not fully emerged) smacking into a metal bucket or a spread on which she becomes "Peg the egg with legs." The pacing is just right for a preschool audience, with children getting enough of a sense of Peg to feel connected to the book, but it's quick enough to hold short attention spans. If ever readers could identify with a chicken, Peg is surely the one.An adorable tale with a meaningful life lesson. (Picture book. 3-5)

Toddler-PreS —Peg is a freshly laid chicken, but still inside the egg and anxious about hatching. After her siblings hatch and follow their mother out of the barn, Peg stays in the egg. She imagines scary things in the world outside, represented by a shadow of a dragon and an indeterminable creature. Eventually Peg pops out of her egg, steps outside, finds her mother, and realizes everything is okay. As a narrative, the story lacks stakes. As a story about learning to overcome anxiety, the book lacks substance. No clear incident prompts Peg to burst forth from her shell. She just does. Peg, the tiny yellow chick, has verve, but about half the character art and text is on a white page. The rest of the book is set against a plain, dark barn interior which, while thematically appropriate, does not give readers much to look at. VERDICT Simple text could make for a fun read-aloud, but stronger titles are available about both chickens and anxiety: the human baby in Fran Manushkin's Baby, Come Out! faces a similar dilemma and the suspense is all but unbearable and so satisfying.—Chance Lee Joyner