Hattie Peck: The Journey Home

The metaphor will be transparent even to younger readers, and Hattie’s unwavering love for her foster clan casts a warm glow over the entire episode. (Picture book. 5-8)

Copyright 2017 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission

In 2016's Hattie Peck, the eponymous hen, unable to lay eggs of her own, "braved the elements rescuing abandoned eggs around the world." Now Hattie lives happily and chaotically with a diverse brood that includes penguins, turtles, ostriches, owls, flamingoes, and snakes. When the time comes for her young ones to "fly the nest," she again travels far and wide to deliver her "precious little hatchlings" to various locales, even parachuting into Manhattan. Levey captures Hattie's devotion to her family with tenderness and humor in a tale touching on themes of adoption, unconditional love, and the sturdy bonds of family. Ages 3-6. (Mar.)

PreS-Gr 2--In Hattie Peck, an eggless hen traveled the world collecting abandoned eggs and hatched a diverse crowd of oviparous species: an alligator, a turtle, a flamingo, an owl, a snake, an echidna, and more. In this second book, the ebullient teal hen revels in nurturing her large family. She feeds and bathes her hatchlings, reads to them, and takes them on joyfully chaotic outings, and "every year, Hattie [makes]each hatchling a perfectly-knitted treat, just for them." At last it's time for the youngsters to leave the nest. In a reversal of the first story, Hattie sails, parachutes, and treks across the world, taking her brood to their new habitats. Alone, Hattie returns home to knit gifts. The tone is wistful but not heavy. In a final twist, the far-flung hatchlings surprise Hattie with a birthday visit and "a perfectly-knitted treat, just for me." The illustrations bloom with details and are cleanly laid out in watercolor and charcoal textures against white backgrounds. Hattie's exuberant crew are a delightful lot, but the mama hen's color, size, and vivacity make her the focal point of the text and illustrations. VERDICT Children and adults will be charmed by this loving celebration of created families. An excellent general purchase.--Rachel Anne Mencke, St. Matthew's Parish School, Pacific Palisades, CA