Chicks and Salsa

A pig can eat only so much slop. Fowl may need to part from their feed. Even a duck might tire of fish. This is the premise of "Chicks and Salsa," a celebration of culinary diversity in general, salsa in particular. The "salsafication" of the farm animals is the brainchild of a rebellious rooster, although there's a rat (literal, not figurative) who--behind the scenes--supplies the ingredients. The rooster is the face of the salsa revolution, but the rat, lurking stealthily on most pages, is the muscle. Like a great chef or musician, Aaron Reynolds riffs on salsa within a structured format. AS the zest for salsa spreads from one species to another, the recipes change. The rooster and chickens pick farm fresh (naturally) onions and tomatoes, the ducks dine on cilantro and garlic, and the pigs go for beans and chopped chilis. Paulette Bogan gives these mischievous animals distinctive personalities and emotion. She draws a bored chicken like no one else. A pig turns fier red after eating chilis, while another pig proudly juggles them. Bogan's seems to thrive on low-light scenes; the animals become luminescent, and their glow warms the barn and surrounding farmland. Her shadows and shadings use unusual color combinations, and the fiesta preparations are vivid and rich. Sadly, the fiesta never takes place, as the humans, who finally wake up and smell the animals' spices, seize all the ingredients for a tamale entree entry at the state fair. The conclusion is a little bit abrupt, but it's clever: The rooster sneaks into the kitchen, and with the rat's help shifts from one cuisine to another, becoming a master at crepes. The fiesta turns into something of a salon, and--zut alors--the animals done "French" clothes, a bit of attitude, and share the hors d'ouevres. "Chicks and Salsa" is delightfully entertaining, with mugging animals and other silly stuff alternating with keenly observed humor. The very talented Bogan gives the reader a visual feast on every page; the animals look as welcoming as teddy bears. 34 pages long, with a book cover that can be made into a poster, and three recipes to try: "Hog Wild Nachos," "Quackamole," and "Rooster's Toasted Salsa."

Lively and vibrant illustrations. Like a good picture book, there's something to be discovered on each page. And after you've read it once, you'll probably want to do it all over again just to see what else is going on in these colorful pages. This one's a keeper! Very fun. Olé!

My seven year old LOVES this book! The story is clever, unique and FUNNY! The illustrations are wonderful and hilarious. And there are even recipes included, which is great for any enterprising child who wants to whip up some Mexican cuisine. We highly recommend this book!

I have purchased this book as a gift for children of many ages and all seem to have the same response- please read it again!!!! The drawings especially make them gleeful. Highly recommended.

Chicks and Salsa is the perfect book for readers with a great sense of humor and a great appetite! The illustrations are beautiful. Any kid will get a kick out of this fun book.