Emma's Cold Day. Margriet Ruurs. Illustrated by Barbara Spurll. Toronto, ON: Stoddart Kids, 2001. 24 pp., cloth, $19.95. ISBN 0-7737-3314-0. Subject Headings: Chickens-Juvenile fiction. Winter-Juvenile fiction. Farm life-Juvenile fiction. Preschool-grade 2 / Ages 4-7. Review by Gail Hamilton. **** /4

exerpt:

Emma fluttered onto the tall fence post, but it was covered with a puff of snow and she slid right off. She took another flying leap. This time she fell beak first into the snow. The horse watched, looking warm and shaking his head. Emma dusted herself off and plodded away.

When Emma, the chicken, is awakened from a snooze by the sound of her own beak chattering, she discovers that the hen house is freezing. She sets off for the barnyard to find out how the other farm animals cope with the cold. Emma's attempts to imitate her barnyard friends - the horse, sheep, cows, pigs and ducks - fail miserably and result in her becoming colder than ever. With darkness approaching, Emma flutters up into the branches of an evergreen tree in order to get a better look through the farmhouse window. When the family notices Emma trying to keep warm in the tree, the farmer realizes that he forgot to switch on the heat lamp in the hen house. And so, Emma, the plucky chicken, unwittingly saves the day.

     The author tells Emma's barnyard adventure both with humour and empathy. Text is quite simple, perfect for read-alouds and for young readers, yet challenging enough to make the story interesting and move along at a good pace. What adds zest to the story is the work of the illustrator. Spurll's adorable, brightly coloured illustrations suit the text superbly and bring the animal characters to life. Readers will enjoy Spurll's humourous touches - the cow pies in the barn, the amusement on the faces of the sheep and Emma's expression when a calf gives her a "slimy, slobbery lick."

     A fun, enjoyable read!

Highly Recommended.

Gail Hamilton is a teacher-librarian at Bird's Hill School in East St. Paul, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364

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