The Runaway Chick

Spry is a chick that marvels at how bright it is ""out here'' the moment he hatches. He watches the mayflies dance in the sunlight, chases the bees and tries to swim like the ducks. He doesn't heed the advice of his elders about the big dangerous world, even when he gets caught in a wire fence and trod upon by a goose. But when he literally gets carried away from the farmyard and into the house (``a strange, dark place, full of surprising things'') he experiences a real sense of fear and danger. A furry cat wakes up and chases him; his foot gets snared in knittng wool until kind human hands save him. Ravilious's entirely original debut is thoughtful and unpretentious. The semirealistic illustrations reveal an ebullient farmyard full of animals, insects, flowers and weeds that are the product of genuine sensitivity and acute observation. Ages 4-7. (September)