The Chicken Problem

Peg and Cat have a “perfect” farm picnic planned, complete with a spacey-looking pig as special guest. But when they generously decide to share a tiny piece of pie with a tiny chicken, the 99 other chickens in the coop make their escape: “There were chickens chickens chickens chickens chickens everywhere!” Readers are informed on the first page that solving problems is Peg and Cat’s specialty, and it’s true that they return the chickens to the coop. But it’s a fairly perfunctory process (they carry some and transport the remainder in two wheelbarrows and a baby carriage), especially given the terrific first impression made by Peg (an exuberant, round-headed redhead) and Cat (a purple ovoid with huge, comically beseeching eyes). While there are numerous clues that the book is intended to encourage numeracy, Aronson and Oxley (he’s a veteran writer for stage and TV, she’s an Emmy-award winning animator and director) don’t make much of a connection between mathematical operations and the chicken roundup, aside from some basic addition. Peg and Cat are slated for their own PBS Kids series, Peg + Cat. Ages 3–6. (Sept.)