The Delicious Bug

A Three Silly Chicks' Pick

The Delicious Bug

by Janet Perlman

Kids Can Press
ISBN: 9781553379966

What is it?
A picture book about two chameleons who get their tongues tied over the same delicious bumblebug.

What do we love about it?
The comic way the chameleons' anger rapidly escalates while the other animals look on in growing disbelief. If you've ever been in a bloodbath with your siblings over the last pop-tart (um, not that we have or anything), this scenario will ring frighteningly true.

What does it remind us of?
A modern day Aesop's Fable.

What is it perfect for?
Talking to kids about the consequences of greed without their eyes glazing over.

What do we say about it?
A fresh, fun take on a morality tale that uses humor to instill its message rather than a sledgehammer (ouch!).

Thanks, USBBY!

The chicks had a fabulous time at the Illinois Authors' Roundtable this week-end at the Where Worlds Meet conference sponsored by the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY). Many thanks to Natalie Ziarnik and crew for organizing a great reception! We saw many friends there, made several new ones, and generally had a blast, even though Andrea looks like she's about to give someone a knuckle sandwich. (She's just silly that way!)

It's Self-Promotion Month!

Let's all celebrate by doing the braggy pants dance! Is there something you'd like to promote today? A new book, blog, website or hairstyle?

If so, say it LOUD and say it PROUD, Peeps! We'd love to hear about it!

Hush, Baby Ghostling

Hush, Baby Ghostling
by Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre
Margaret K. McElderry
Agest 4-8
ISBN: 978-1416925453

Andrea is so excited to have a new book out in time for Halloween. It's a rhyming, bedtime book about Mama Ghost who is trying to get her ghostling to sleep after a lovely day of play.

It's nearly dawn and time for all baby ghostlings to go to sleep. But as any parent (ghost or human) knows, getting a young one to sleep is easier said than done. There are so many worries to soothe and rituals to complete before sleep arrives. Of course, Mama Ghost knows just what to do in this non-scary but humorous bedtime tale.

"Hush, Baby Ghostling
the haunting hour is past.
The bats have ceased their swooping
and the dawn is coming fast."














"So nestle safe beside me
in our happy haunted home
and dream a dream of darkness
where the wild monsters roam."














"Dear Baby Ghostling.
You're tucked in nice and tight.
I'll leave some darkness in the hall
if you're scared of the light."













Of course, Baby Ghostling loses his favorite toy skeleton and worries about the sounds of laughter in his room. But even the fear of human children can't keep sleep at bay forever. They are only make believe, after all.

Illustrations are by Pascal Lemaitre (Doctor Ted and Firefighter Ted) who is such a wonder. Hush, Baby Ghostling is rhyming read for halloween or any bed time!!! Hope you enjoy it!

It's Ed Sullivan's Birthday!

Good ole Ed was born on this day in 1901. To honor this iconic entertainer, wear a pair of really big shoes today.

Speaking of shoes--

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes." ~Author Unknown

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook

A Three Silly Chicks' Pick

The Secret Science Alliance
and the Copycat Crook

by Eleanor Davis

Bloomsbury USA

ISBN: 9781599901428

What is it?

A graphic novel about three science nerds who come together to get their geek on in the world's coolest clubhouse while pursuing villains in their spare time!

What we love about it?

The detailed diagrams, maps and invention specs made us swoon!

What does it remind us of?

The love child of Albert Einstein and Velma from Scooby Doo.

What is it perfect for?

Sharing with tween-age brainiacs, comic book fans, and anyone who appreciates a fun, fast-paced adventure.

What do we say about it?

When does the next installment come out? Give us more SSA!

Binky the Space Cat

A Three Silly Chicks' Pick

Binky the Space Cat

by Ashley Spires

Kids Can Press

ISBN: 978-1-55453-309-1

What is it?

A hard-cover graphic novel starring the comically triangle-headed Binky the Space Cat who is charged with two vital missions: to blast off into space and to save his humans from the evil alien fly creatures that buzz around the human's abode (especially near the litter box).

What we love about it?

We love Binky's can-do attitude and delusional dedication to his mission. The jokes are funny and the illustrations are filled with sass and attitude.

What does it remind us of?

Our favorite funny fat cats with attitude like Chester and Fat Cat.

What is it perfect for?

Astronauts. Cat lovers. And 7-9 year olds who want something silly to read just for fun.

What do we say about it?

Binky the Space cat is smart, sassy and best of all, VERY funny.

Something Silly!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if all kids' shows were this funny?

It's Elephant Appreciation Day!

Share these elephant jokes with your favorite silly person:

What's the difference between eating an elephant and eating peanut butter?
Elephants don't stick to the roof of your mouth.

What is large and gray and goes around and around in circles?
An elephant stuck in a revolving door.

Who's the most famous female singing elephant?
Elephants Gerald.

Why did the elephant cross the road?
To squash the chicken on the other side!
(Hey wait! Don't share that one!)

Sir Lofty & Sir Tubb

A Three Silly Chicks' Pick!

Sir Lofty & Sir Tubb

by Binette Schroeder

North South Books

ISBN: 978-0-7358-2251-1

What is it?

A classically elegant and beautifully illustrated tale of jealousy, greed, and friendship between two very different knights.

What do we love about it?

The quirky but gentle story is laced with tenderness. Kids will get a secret tickle at discovering the backstory which begins and ends on the inside covers. Best of all, we love the fanciful knights with their kitchen-colander armour and salt-shaker shapes.

What does it remind us of?
The old-fashioned and beautifully crafted picture books we savoured as kids.

What is it perfect for?

Rainy day reading in a cozy chair by the fire. (Teas and cookies NOT optional.)

What do we think?

Sir Lofty & Sir Tubb is a beautifully illustrated charmer with quiet, gentle humor.

Crazed Pirate Chicks... ARGH!

(Andrea, Fiona, Julia, Carolyn)

A huge THANK YOU to Angela and the wonderful peeps at 57th Street Books as well as all the sponsors of the 57th Street Children's Book Fair in Chicago for a great afternoon last Sunday. Not only did they let us take the stage and be silly pirate chicks with our special guest chiclet, Fiona, but they gave away our books for FREE to kids at the Fair. Oh, happy day!

Thanks also to Rick Kogan, who interviewed us on WGN Radio to help promote the Fair. You can listen to our interview here:



So now tell us who your favorite independent bookseller is. Curious chicks wanna know!

100% Pure Fake

Hey Chickadees and Chicadont's!

We're trying something new here at the Coop. A category of reviews we call Three Silly Chicks' Picks. It's all the same nutritious goodness of our usual reviews but organized by the most important questions we can think of. (Next to What's for breakfast? What's for lunch? and What's for dinner?) Our goal is to make our reviews even more useful to you fast-paced teachers, librarians, parents, and grandparents. Enjoy!!!


A Three Silly Chicks' Pick:

100% Pure Fake
By Lyn Thomas

Photos by Cheryl Powers
Illustrations by Boris Zaytsev
Kids Can Press
ISBN: 978-1-55453-290-2

What is it?
An easy-to follow guide to creating fake brains, snot, moles, puke & other wonderfully disgusting stuff.

What do we love about it?

The way the pictures of fake puke trigger our gag response. Yep, Folks, these are seriously sweet special effects.

What does it remind us of?
Halloween, B-movies, and our favorite uncles who know ALL the right sound effects and exactly when to use them.

What is it perfect for?
Any self-respecting fourth grader who is worth his (or her) weight in whoopie cushions.

What do we think?
100% Pure Fake is grody, gooey goodness!

We Love Librarians!

We love librarians. All kinds of librarians. Tall ones. Short ones. Ones that climb on rocks. Big ones. Small ones and even ones with chickenpox.

Oh, wait. That's hot dogs. Well, we do love hot dogs with relish, but we relish librarians much more. So, so much more!

We were very excited that the American Library Association is asking everyone to vote for their favorite librarians! (It can lead to possible awards and cash rewards for the winners.) So please think about your favorite public librarian or school library media specialist or college/university librarian. And VOTE!!!!

Firefighter Ted

Firefighter Ted
by Andrea Beaty
Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre
Margaret K. McElderry
Ages 4-8

ISBN: 978-141692829

At last, it's here! The sequel to Doctor Ted is out! Oh Ted is back an you know what that means. Fun! And trouble. But mostly FUN!!! Here's what happens . . .

One morning, Ted wakes up, sniffs the air and smells burnt toast. He needs a firefighter. Ted looks everywhere, but since firefighters are scarce in Ted's room, he becomes one.


Equipped with a can of whip-cream & and fish tank hose, Ted creates a fire extinguisher and saves his mother from a toast disaster in the making! "Remember," says Firefighter Ted, "Only you can prevent breakfast fires."

Those are words to live by!

Firefighter Ted braves a hot sidewalk to rescue a kitten, two puppies and three tricycles. His bravery leaves the crowd speechless.



At school, Firefighter Ted is a true hero. He rescues Principal Bigham and saves the school from a host of dangers lurking at the science fair.

We won't say what happens, but it does involve a magnifying glass, a pair of scissors and underwear with hearts on them. 'Nuff said.

Please Join Us

It was on this day in 1966 that The Road Runner premiered. So, at exactly 3:39 pm, we are asking everyone to say "meep meep" in honor of this highly momentous moment in showbiz history.

Think of it. All over the world, people pausing during their busy day to pay homage to the show that put Acme Corporation on the map.

So meep with us people! But please, refrain from shoving anvils off of cliffs. It's just not safe.

It's National Chicken Month!

Flap your wings and strut your stuff! It's National Chicken Month, Peeps! Here are just a few ways to celebrate:

1) Spend one whole day clucking instead of talking. Think how annoying this could be!

Boss: Do you have that report finished yet?

You: Cluck?

Boss: What's that supposed to mean?

You: Cluck, cluck, cluck.

Boss: I need it by noon!

You: CLUCK!

And on and on.

A less daring way to celebrate National Chicken Month might be to play The Chicken Dance song while eating an egg salad sandwich, or hey, read a chicken book! Need some suggestions? Okay, here you go!

Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates
by Carolyn Crimi
illustrated by John Manders
Another adventure about our favorite reluctant pirate, Henry, by our own awesome chick, Carolyn!!!!

And these wonderful chicken books we've recently reviewed.
Chicken Butt
by Erica Perl
illustrated by Henry Cole

Chicken Cheeks
by Michael Ian Black
illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

The Cow That Laid an Egg
by Andy Cutbill
illustrated by Russel Ayto

What are your favorite Chicken Books?

We're Back!

The Chicks are back and ready for the new school year! In addition to nice, shiny school supplies, our backpacks are loaded with fabulous new books and other silly stuff to share with you in the months ahead. And we're starting things off with a bang!


Need a new totebag to schlep around your favorite snacks? Need some new books to read while you munch on those snacks? We thought so! That's why we're giving away a fabulous Three Silly Chicks totebag filled with our latest books! All you have to do is become a Three Silly Chicks fan on Facebook and leave a comment by 9:00 am on Saturday, Sept. 19th. A random winner will be chosen from all comments. What could be easier?

But what's that we hear some of you muttering?

Dahlings, I absolutely loathe social networking; must I really join FaceBook to have some Three Silly Chicks fun?

Heck no! Just tune your radio dial to WGN this Sunday (9/13) at 7:30 am to hear our dulcet bockings as we visit with Chicago's finest, funniest journalist Rick Kogan.



But chicks, you insist, what if I want to bask in your feathered glory and join you for a round or two of the Chicken Dance?

No problemo, we've got you covered! Come join us at the 57th Street Book Fair in Chicago this Sunday afternoon (9/13). We'll be on stage at 1:30 and signing books at 2:00. Come cut a rug with us! Whisper the secret password* in our ear and we'll give you a silly treat!

Now that's more like it. But how shall I pass the long hours in the meantime?

Check out this new blog called Hit the Ground Running, a treasure trove of tips and inspiration for "new and high-spirited" educators written by Esmé Raji Codell, one of our favorite chicks on the planet!


Happy reading, friends! We're glad to be back!

* Eggs Benedict. Shhh, it's a secret!

Going Fishin'

Well, we don't know how it happened, but August has rolled around yet again and we Silly Chicks find ourselves ready to fly the coop for just a bit.

We hate to leave you, but we heard about a wonderful new spa that offers bean dip facials and guacamole wraps and thought we should check it out. Though now that we think about it, we're not sure if the guacamole wraps are for lunch or our thighs. Either way, they sound deeeelish. We'll be back after school starts with lots of new reviews, interviews, and other fun stuff including our new Chicks' Picks reviews.

Before we leave, we want to mention a fantastic campaign from one of our favorite organizations, First Book. First Book wants to get a book into the hands of every kid in America. What could be better than that? Their new campaign is called, "What Book Got You Hooked?" Chick it out today and help kids get reading!

Of course, we can't leave you without letting you know about our brand-spanking new books! All of us have new titles this August. We hope enjoy reading them as much as we enjoyed writing them!

For adventure seekers, there's Julia's amazing novel, Sea of the Dead.

Sea of the Dead
by Julia Durango
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN-13: 9781416957782

Full of high-seas adventure and excitement, Sea of the Dead is the story of Kehl who is the son of the Warrior Prince. Kehl hates pirates who, according to his father, were responsible for his mother's death. When he is kidnapped by the Pirate King, Kehl begins to question what his father had told him, and realizes his past is linked to the future of the new world he's mapping.

It's exciting! It's adventurous! It's simply FANTASTIC!!!!

And if you need more pirate action, you can turn to Carolyn's newest . . .

Henry and the Crazed Chicken Pirates
by Carolyn Crimi
Illustrated by John Manders
Candlewick Press ISBN-13: 9780763636012

It's got pirates. It's got chickens. It's got Pirate Chickens. And they're crazed!!! What more could you ask?

.

Hush, Baby Ghostling

by Andrea Beaty

Illustrated by Pascal Lemaitre
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ISBN-13: 9781416925453

After battling so many pirates, you're kids (and you) will be plum tuckered out. Time for a bedtime book.

Mama Ghost is trying to get her baby ghostling to sleep. Of course, that's easier said than done when there are spooky noises in the room, Mr. Skeleton goes missing, and the light is so scary. But don't worry, Mama Ghost is there to make things right!

Happy Fishing, everybody! Hope you enjoy the rest of your summer and we'll catch you on the flip side!!!!

Fun and Games at ALA & FB

As you can see, the chicks had a BLAST at this year's American Library Assocation annual conference. We think Andrea looks like a natural with that heavy blaster rifle, and Julia and Carolyn have decided to attend all future conferences as a Gamorrean guard and Sandtrooper, respectively.

We loved seeing old friends and meeting new ones, and we've brought back armloads of funny books to share with you in the months ahead. We also met some incredibly fun and charming authors (like him and her) who graciously agreed to visit the coop and answer silly questions for us in the future. Be sure to check back often, or better yet, subscribe.

And in other news, you can now see our smiling beaks over at Facebook. We'd love to see you there!

Bea Rocks the Flock

Bea Rocks the Flock
by Victoria Jamieson
Bloomsbury USA
ISBN: 978-1599902609

Poor Bea has a problem. And although she is a sheep, we chicks can totally relate. You see, Bea doesn't want to be like the other sheep. She wants to bleach her hair and wear black leather jumpsuits and be a rock star like Blondie. Oh wait. Nevermind. That's our dream, not Bea's. But still, Bea just wants to do her own thing and show her true colors, which are anything but white. As you might imagine, this doesn't go down well with the rest of the flock. Not one bit. So Bea packs her bags and heads for the big city, where she delights in the diversity of the crowd. "Great clanging cowbells!" she exclaims. "This is where I belong!"

...Or does she? Will Bea become a city girl forever or will she start to miss her flock? Check out this delightful book by the ultra-talented Victoria Jamieson to find out how Bea eventually resolves her identity crisis. A must-read for creative chicks and sheep everywhere who wonder if they'll ever fit in.