Chicken, Pig, Cow on the Move. (A Ruth Ohi Picture Book). Ruth Ohi. Toronto, ON: Annick Press, 2009. 32 pp., pbk. & hc., $6.95 (pbk.), $19.95 (hc.). ISBN 978-1-55451-193-8 (pbk.), ISBN 978-1-55451-194-5 (hc.). Subject Headings: Chickens-Juvenile fiction. Swine-Juvenile fiction. Cows-Juvenile fiction. Preschool-Kindergarten / Ages 3-5. Review by Claire Perrin. ***½ /4

excerpt:

Chicken, Pig, and Cow loved their barn. They loved best friend Dog. But sometimes things seemed a little crowded.

"Excuse me," said Cow to Chicken "but you're standing on my hoof."

"Well," said Chicken, "you're squishing my tail."

"Well, said Pig, "you're wearing mine."

In the second adventure of Chicken, Pig, Cow and Dog, the friends are finding their living quarters cramped. They venture out to find a new home that will accommodate them. Pig proposes that a bunny slipper be their home, but it is "too linty." Cow finds a shelter under an armchair, but they feel threatened by the vacuum cleaner. Finally Chicken makes an amazing discovery –  a dollhouse. At first the animals are thrilled with the amenities: beds, a TV and a slide. However, when night falls, none of them is able to sleep in their new house. Cow tries to get comfortable in the bathtub, Chicken tries watching TV, and Pig stares out the window looking for Dog. All three eventually curl up together in the tiny bathtub. Thankfully, Dog comes to the rescue by bringing back the popsicle stick barn so that the animals can escape from the dollhouse and move back into their original home.

     As in the previous adventure, Ohi presents the details of the story through the illustrations. The text is kept quite simple throughout, making it accessible for very young children. The humour of the situation is delivered entirely through pictures, such as Cow tossing and turning in the bathtub or Chicken watching TV. Ohi uses watercolours for her illustrations, keeping the colours simple and the animals easy to spot. The illustrations in her previous book, Chicken, Pig, Cow, earned her a nomination for the 2008 Marilyn Baillie Picture Book award.

     The end of the story leaves readers with a satisfied "no place like home" feeling. Children will be happy to see the animals return to the familiarity of their barn where, hopefully, a third adventure will take place.

Highly Recommended.

Claire Perrin is a full time teacher-librarian with the Toronto District School Board.

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