Chico the Brave (review)

Chico the chick, a resident of the mountains of Peru, is afraid of everything. When his father tells him a (made-up) story about the "Golden Chicken" ("The Golden Chicken is a good guy—a superbird. Whenever there's trouble, he, um, swoops down from those there mountains and saves the day"), Chico gathers his courage enough to go out looking for this chicken champion. A tough band of llamas tauntingly suggests that the Golden Chicken can be found only atop an alarmingly high mountain, but timid Chico presses onward. Reaching the mountain's peak, Chico discovers that there is no Golden Chicken, but a brisk wind sets him flying through the sky, just in time to scare off the Llama Llama Gang who have been terrorizing the town in his absence: "'Uh-oh,' said one of the llamas. 'You think that's the Golden Chicken the kid was talking about?' 'I don't know,' said another llama, 'but let's not stick around to find out.'" Although the solution to Chico's fear is a little contrived, Horowitz's blithely absurd story and illustrations are humorous enough that kids won't much care. Chico is a sympathetic little guy, shaped like an upside-down yellow teardrop with an enormous orange beak and spindly legs, and underdogs will cheer at his triumph over the bad (but funny) llamas. Amusing details in the vibrant acrylic and black pencil illustrations, such as the wanted poster featuring "LLENNY" the llama and the bottles of "Llamonade" ("Muy delicioso," states the label) that the mustachioed llamas are drinking, further ratchet up the silliness. Chico may not prompt the faint-hearted into sudden bravery, but plenty of kids will chuckle at this chick's accidentally discovered audacity.