The Trouble with Chickens by Doreen Cronin

☆☆☆☆Author: Doreen Cronin
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 120
Genre: Young Readers Fiction
Source: Publisher ARC
ISBN: 0061215325


It was a hot, sunny day when I met that crazy chicken.
So hot that sometimes I think the whole thing may have been a mirage.
But mirages don't have chicken breath, mister.

J.J.Tully is a former search and rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he's not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs), and their chicken mom show up demanding his help to track down their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, JJ begins to track down clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are there dark forces at work-or is J.J. not smelling the evidence that's right in front of him?


A fun tale for young readers! Clever and full of witty banter between fur and feathers. I was drawn to the book by the cover art and the history of the author in my classroom. I fell for her Diary series and I think I have fallen for J.J. and his sarcastic nature. This is a great introduction to chapter books for young readers and is enriched with tons of high vocabulary! Some of the humor might reach over the heads of the readers, but they will find much of it comical. Though it was meant for elementary, I really enjoyed the story. I wish I had a copy to read in the classroom for a kid's point of view!