Scary Mary

PreS—Scary Mary, a chicken, is very protective of her barnyard. She rules the roost and will not allow the other farm animals near. When they ask her to play, she scares them away until she is completely alone. When she has the barnyard to herself, she realizes that she is very lonely. Finally she asks the other animals if she can join them, and they agree to let her play. Even though characters are portrayed as barnyard animals, young children will relate to the theme of learning to get along. The layout places simple text among the humorous illustrations in an appropriate manner. One disappointment in an otherwise satisfactory story is the statement that "she squawked and clucked and crowed." Many young readers will know that chickens don't crow; roosters do. The narrative is enhanced by colorful and cartoonlike watercolor and ink illustrations that reflect the action of the story.—Margaret R. Tassia, Millersville University, PA