Starred Review ALA Booklist (Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2002)

Starred Review Brett, known for her intricate designs and her engaging artwork, outdoes herself in this story set in modern-day China. Young Mei Mei loves taking care of her hens, calling them the happiest hens in China. But one of them, Daisy, is bullied by her coop mates. One night, Daisy floats down the river in a straw basket, and suddenly she must rely on survival skills she didn't know she had. Mei Mei shows her own bravery when she rescues Daisy, who turns up at the local market bound for the kettle, and Daisy proves she can hold her own when she returns to the farm. The story has a strong beginning and end, but it bogs down in the middle. What never flags is the excitement generated by the incredible artwork. Children can see every feather on a hen, each orange in a bin in the marketplace, and every tile on a roof. Brett's attention to detail is matched by her skill in representing the story's viewpoint and movement: spot art on the edge of each page moves the story along or adds a bit of new knowledge. Particularly eye-catching are the richly hued pictures, bursting with Chinese life. The art sets off the story with decorative corners resembling bamboo or woven basketry that further carry out Chinese motifs.

Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2002)

Daisy, the smallest and most maligned of six hens, accidentally floats away in an egg basket on the flooding Li River in China. She escapes a number of dangers and finds her way home to her roost--and uses her newfound courage to gain respect in the hen house. Brett's trademark illustrations add luster to the story, and readers will enjoy spying the animals hidden in the scenery.

Kirkus Reviews

This popular author visits Asia for a charming tale of a plucky hen. Daisy knows she is loved—young Mei Mei has the six happiest hens in China—but she is tired of being pecked at by the other hens and driven from their cozy perch at night. One wet evening she curls up in one of Mei Mei's market baskets, with its red Chinese characters reading "happy hens." But the river takes the basket, and Daisy awakens to find herself far from Mei Mei. She fends off a dog, a water buffalo, and a pack of monkeys in a banyan tree, but is captured by a fisherman who sees his dinner in her plumpness. Mei Mei, after searching all over for Daisy, finally takes her eggs to market where she finds the fisherman who cries "Finders keepers!" Calling her chicken, Mei Mei whisks her away from the fisherman, taking her back to her perch where she uses what she's learned to secure her place. Brett's ( Hedgie's Surprise , 2000, etc.) brilliantly colored gouache and watercolor illustrations are pleasingly complex. Each double-page spread is framed by corner pieces edged in bamboo, with vignettes that reflect other action happening in the story at the same time as the main picture. Borders, backgrounds, and basketry patterns reflect many kinds of Asian decorative arts. Even the mountains and trees are often shaped like animals familiar to Brett fans. The hens are attractive and dignified, not anthropomorphized at all, yet individually drawn. The lesson of standing up for oneself is very gently etched in a read-aloud that will reward lots of poring over pictures. (Picture book. 4-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

"Inspired in part by the classic story of Ping, the adventurous duck on the Yangtze River, this spirited, intricately illustrated tale centers on the smallest of six hens," said <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">PW. Ages 4-up. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Jan.)

School Library Journal (Fri Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2002)

PreS-Gr 3 In a tale reminiscent of Marjorie Flack's The Story about Ping (Viking, 1933), the smallest hen in Mei Mei's chicken house can't compete each evening for her spot on the perch. One rainy night, Daisy decides to sleep outside, and she settles down in one of Mei Mei's market baskets, which is picked up by the rain-swollen Li River. Carried downstream, she has many adventures until she is caught by an enterprising fisherman who plans to sell her in the market. Of course, she is rescued by her determined owner in a daring escape scene. Brett's tale is clever and contains many authentic elementsvaried Chinese people in modern clothing, fruits and vegetables, typical architecture from the area, etc. However, some of the market scenes are a bit old-fashioned, and not all of the Chinese characters on the baskets are correct. As is typical of Brett's work, the pages are full of detail and often overdecorative, and the small pictures in the slanting sidebars distract from the dramatic, bold watercolors. The karsts, oddly shaped mountains found near the Li River, are drawn to resemble animals, which takes attention away from the main focus of the illustrations. Still, this lively story will be popular with young readers who won't mind a tale that reflects China as seen by an admiring American visitor. Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA