Chicken and Cat (review)

City-dweller Chicken meets Cat at the bus stop, takes his suitcase, and leads his guest back to Chicken's apartment. Cat's clearly out of his element, though, and he regards with suspicion the sacks of garbage at the curb, cockroaches scuffling on the sidewalk, horns honking in the street, and dogs tethered to the posts. A bicycle tour of the city introduces Cat to more appealing sights—a park with pond and footbridge and ice-cream vendor—and a public-transit ride to Coney Island lets them enjoy some sun (Chicken turns pink) and sea. But Cat's still not acclimated, so a visit to the hardware store for seed packets is just what he needs. The friends transform an empty lot, and now there's an island of brilliant color just outside the apartment window. City gardening is not a new theme in picture books, but Varon spins her tale wordlessly and leavens the gentle environmental message with one of the most zanily mismatched buddy pairs to come along in awhile. Chicken is shaped like a feathered bowling pin, and Cat could be kin to a sock monkey, but alongside the boating pigs and strolling raccoons and green and mauve humans, they don't seem out of place. Soft coffee browns of the urban landscape contrast effectively with verdant Central Park, the cool aqua Atlantic, and the crayon-bright garden blooms. Pair with City Mouse, Country Mouse to explore the relative delights of urban and rural living.