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Reviewed by:
  • Agatha Parrot and the Thirteenth Chicken by Kjartan Poskitt
  • Quinita Balderson
Poskitt, Kjartan Agatha Parrot and the Thirteenth Chicken; illus. by Wes Hargis. Clarion/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017 [160p] (Agatha Parrot)
Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-544-50909-2 $16.99
E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-544-50911-5 $16.99
Reviewed from galleys         R Gr. 2-4

Agatha and her friends Bianca, Ellie, Ivy, and Martha return for the third installment of the Agatha Parrot series (Agatha Parrot and the Odd Street School Ghost, BCCB 6/16, etc.). A new year means new things at Odd Street School and this time there's a "BIG new thing"—the arrival of thirteen eggs, so the students can witness firsthand the chicks emerging from the eggs scrawny and wet and then becoming fluffy, slightly less awkward versions of themselves. When Miss Pingle trusts Agatha and her friends to babysit—err, chicken-sit—overnight, the girls are up to the challenge until they realize one chick is missing, and they must find him or face Miss Pingle and the kiddies at school. This is high comedy as well as mystery: young readers will appreciate the humor in Agatha's direct address, her exclamatory habits, and her fourth-wall breakage in repeatedly referencing previous pages in the book. It's not surprising that the missing chick, Random, is Agatha's favorite since she is a clear appreciator of individuality. Sly monochromatic line and watercolor illustrations add to the fun. "The Chicken Puzzle" follows the main narrative, allowing readers to test their own deduction skills.

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