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When a terrified squirrel barges into a backyard chicken coop looking for help, four tough little chicks patiently draw out his story and try to figure out what frightened the panicky critter. Deducing that a UFO may have landed in the yard, chicks Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie camouflage themselves with grass clippings and pelt the new (vaguely UFO-like) barbecue grill with rocks in a misguided attempt to rescue Moosh, their mom. Retired search-and-rescue dog J. J. Tully charges in to stop the attack and set things straight. If the characters sound familiar, they appeared in the J. J. Tully Mystery series. Now the four little chicks move into the spotlight for the Chicken Squad series. With its shorter text and larger type, the book will suit somewhat younger readers, those just moving up to chapter books. As in the previous series, some chapters are written in third person, while others are narrated by the dog. Cornell's comical gray-wash illustrations magnify the story's mild humor. An amusing beginning chapter book.
Horn BookWhile retired search-and-rescue dog J. J. Tully (The Trouble with Chickens) takes a nap, four of the chicks in his charge investigate "something big and scary in the yard." Pinning down the specifics becomes an arduous--and humorous--task. Large font, short paragraphs, and straightforward sentences combine with expressive, endearing black-and-white illustrations to support new chapter book readers.
Kirkus ReviewsIn this delightful spinoff of the J.J. Tully series, this time the chickens are in charge—sort of. When "dumb squirrel" Tail is terrified by something big and scary in the yard, the Chicken Squad (Dirt, Sugar, Poppy and Sweetie) is on the case. Not only do they work to build Tail's pitiful vocabulary, these chickens will make readers laugh while doing it. Soon, Tail's description goes from "big and scary" to "huge and terrifying," and following a bonk to the head, he describes the thing in the yard as "a big, shiny circle…a dark shade of green…it made a weird hissing and popping noise…it interrupted the atmosphere." Cronin keeps the mystery moving right along, allowing it to build at just the right pace for new readers to guess along with the silly chickens. Of course, it takes J.J. Tully, the retired search-and-rescue hound, to figure it out and save the day. Just don't tell the Chicken Squad. Each page turn rewards readers with a humorous illustration that explains and extends the text—and helps children figure out some of the more difficult words from picture clues. Most of the more challenging words are repeated many times as the chickens recount the story for each other and Tail, making this a great first chapter book. (Comic mystery. 6-9)
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)This loopy mystery kicks off the Chicken Squad series, a spinoff of Cronin and Cornell's J.J. Tully Mysteries that is skewed to even younger readers. Retired search-and-rescue dog turned detective J.J. takes a minor role in this outing, leaving the spotlight to Moosh's four chicks. Though it's J.J.'s job to bail out the trouble-prone chickens, he enlists readers to take over while he naps: "Wake me if they get into any trouble. Well, big trouble. I'm sure you can handle a little trouble on your own." Trouble arrives in the guise of Tail, a terrified squirrel who storms the chicken coop insisting that "something big and scary" is after him. Led by Sugar, who records clues in her notebook, and Dirt, who uses her sketchpad to decipher the shape of the interloper, the chick siblings (camouflaged as clods of grass) and Tail set out to confront what they assume is a UFO. As Cronin and Cornell layer on the silliness, full-tilt slapstick springs from the chicks' banter and Tail's melodramatic ranting. Ages 7-10. Author's agent: Holly McGhee, Pippin Properties. (Apr.)
School Library Journal (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)Gr 1-3 Those cheeky chicks are backthis time in a series all their own. Fresh on the heels of their adventures in The Trouble with Chickens (2011) and The Legend of Diamond Lil (2012, both HarperCollins), Dirt, Sugar, Sweetie, and Poppy must now contend with a cowardly squirrel named Tail and a "big and scary" something that has landed in the backyard. Using deductive reasoning and some strangely creative camouflage, the chickens hatch a plan to investigate the mysterious object. The curmudgeonly ex-police dog, J.J. Tully, lends his deadpan observations to the humorous text, while Cornell's black-and-white illustrations bring Cronin's oddball characters to life with a goofy charm. Kids who enjoyed the first two books in the "J.J. Tully Mysteries" series will be delighted that the four intrepid chicks take center stage in this laugh-out-loud new chapter book series. Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal
ALA Booklist (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)
Horn Book
Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)
School Library Journal (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)
Wilson's Children's Catalog
Chapter 1
Help!! Help!”
A squirrel came barreling into the chicken coop. He was out of breath and in a panic. “There is something big and scary in the yard!” gasped the squirrel. “It’s after me!”
“Describe it for me,” said Sugar. She pulled her notepad out of the old shoe.
“It’s big and scary!!” said the squirrel. “It’s BIG and it’s SCARY!!”
“Big and scary is not going to cut it,” said Sugar. “Lots of things are big and scary, kid. My mom is big and scary. Try again.”
“It’s ENORMOUS and FRIGHTENING,” said Squirrel.
Sugar put her pencil down. “Better. Keep going.”
“It’s HUGE and TERRIFYING!” cried the squirrel.
“Much better, Tail,” said Sugar. She checked her notes.
Big and Scary!
Enormous and Frightening!
Huge and Terrifying!
“Maybe I can help,” said Dirt. She took out her sketchpad. “What shape was it?” asked Dirt.
“It was . . . big,” answered the squirrel.
“Big is not a shape,” sighed Sugar. She put her notebook down. “You’ve got a good vocabulary, kid. But your poor shape knowledge means I can’t respect you. You should go now.”
“Hold on, Sugar,” said Dirt. “Let’s figure this out. Let’s start from the beginning.”
“It’s ENORMOUS!” snapped the squirrel. He was starting to get grumpy.
“I thought you said it was big,” said Sugar.
“Maybe I can give it a try,” said Dirt. “Is it bigger than a house?”
“Well, no,” said the squirrel.
“Is it bigger than the chicken coop?” asked Dirt.
“Well, no,” answered the squirrel.
“Is it bigger than you?” asked Dirt.
“I am a brave squirrel!! Of course it’s bigger than me!” said the squirrel. “Why would I be afraid of something if it wasn’t bigger than me?”
“Lots of people are afraid of things that are smaller than they are,” said Dirt.
“Well, not me,” said the squirrel. “I’m only afraid of one thing and it’s BIG and SCARY, and it came out of nowhere, and it’s out there waiting for me!”
“I think we need J. J. on this case,” said Sugar. “He knows the yard like the back of his paw. I’m going to run over there and ask him to join us.”
“Not the dog!” yelled the squirrel. “Not the DOG! NOT THE DOG!”
“What’s your beef with the dog, Tail?” asked Sugar.
“He’s big and scary!” answered the squirrel.
Sugar had a hunch.
“Fine, I’m just going to run outside and grab a shovel,” she announced. “I’ll be right back.”
“Not the shovel!” said Tail. “Not the SHOVEL! NOT THE SHOVEL!”
“What’s your beef with the shovel?” asked Sugar.
“It’s big and scary!” said the squirrel.
“I give up, Tail,” said Sugar. “Sounds to me like you’re afraid of everything in the yard. Now get out of here and call me when you have a real problem.” Sugar made a last note on her pad.
Big and Scary!
Enormous and Frightening!
Huge and Terrifying!
Never mind!
Just then a dark figure appeared in the doorway and cast a shadow over Dirt, Sugar, and Tail.
“Everything okay in here?” asked a deep, gruff voice. Tail’s eyes went wide, his face went pale, and he hit the floor.
Excerpted from The Chicken Squad: The First Misadventure by Doreen Cronin
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
Now an animated series on Disney Junior!
They’re darling. They’re daring. They know their shapes! They’re chicks on a mission—and on this, their first (mis)adventure, the Chicken Squad launches a galactic backyard expedition.
Meet the Chicken Squad: Dirt, Sugar, Poppy, and Sweetie. These chicks are not your typical barnyard puffs of fluff, and they are not about to spend their days pecking chicken feed and chasing bugs. No sir, they’re too busy solving mysteries and fighting crime.
So when Squirrel comes barreling into the chicken coop, the chicks know they’re about to get a case. But with his poor knowledge of shapes (“Big” is not a shape, Squirrel!) and utter fear of whatever it is that’s out there, the panicky Squirrel is NO HELP. Good thing these chicks are professionals.
But even professionals get worried. Especially once they see that round, shiny, green, BIG thing in the yard. What if it’s a UFO full of aliens who want chickens as pets? It’s up to the Chicken Squad to crack a case that just might be out of this world.