Five Little Chicks

by Nancy Tafuri

This little chick
went to the garden.
This little chick
found a worm.
This little chick
eyed a berry.
And this little chick
gave a squirm!

With counting, fun, and vibrant illustrations, acclaimed storyteller Nancy Tafuri brings the farmyard to life. Mamas and little ones everywhere will cherish all the special moments of these little chicks for years to come.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Counting, Storytime, Childrens, Birds, Food

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 10, 2006

About the author

Nancy Tafuri is probably best known as the creator of Have You Seen My Duckling?, a 1985 Caldecott Honor Book described by Parent’s Choice as “beautifully precise yet emotionally affecting.” Trained as a graphic designer, Tafuri has authored more than 45 books over 30 years for the very young.

When Tafuri first attempted picture book illustration in the late 1970’s picture books were aimed at five-, six-, and seven-year-olds. Tafuri’s images were considered “too graphic” for children that age. “The pictures are too big,” she was told over and over about the large, colorful shapes she drew. Finally, Tafuri’s talent was recognized and tapped at Greenwillow Books, Harper Collins Publishers.

Since then she has had the opportunity to work with Scholastic Press, Scholastic Inc., Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division and most recently Little, Brown Books For Young Readers, Little, Brown and Company.

Tafuri was born in Brooklyn, New York. For the first ten years of her life she was an only child and says that this helped her to learn to entertain herself with stories and art.

Tafuri entered the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1964. Her first job was as an assistant art director for the publishing firm Simon & Schuster. She left two years later and married Thomas Tafuri, a fellow student at the School of Visual Arts.

The Tafuri’s opened their own graphic design studio, in 1971. Their primary product was dust jackets for hardcover books. They opened their business in New York City, but eventually moved their studio and home to Connecticut.

At this time, Nancy was able to devote all of her time to writing and illustration.

When Tafuri finally found herself illustrating children’s books, either her own or other authors’, she felt she had found her life’s calling and a strong sense of joy from creating them. She loves to take a small portion of the text and create a visual representation that children can grasp and remember. In 1989, when Cristina was born, Nancy began to feel even more strongly motivated to illustrate for children. Her work seemed even more important and more personal.

“I feel honored to be creating literature for young children. Seeing how very important the early years are in a person’s life, I can only hope that my books can contribute in some small way to that growth, with the feelings that I hope I project within those pages, through line, color, shape, and story.”

Reviews

[Necia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't really like the way that reading it aloud I was not able to find a rhythm with the forced rhymes and had to stop several times. Also, my four year old who I was reading it with and has never lived on a farm pointed out that the hen was just plain silly for not letting her chicks eat the items that they wanted to because real chickens would have. Two stars because the illustrations are attractive and we liked the counting but that was about it.

[Cara Byrne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tafuri tells the story of five little chicks as they search for food on their colorful pond. They see butterflies and shimmery fish, but ultimately their mother shows them where to eat and then cuddles with them to get them to sleep. This brief but well-written story would be perfect for bedtime for a one to two year old. A library baby storytime read.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellie read to mom..krb 6/23/16

[Khari · Rating 2 out of 5]

I neither liked nor disliked this book.

It has little poems about baby chicks exploring the world in search of food.

The end.
No impressions.
I read it.
I feel neither like it was a revelation from above, nor like my time was wasted. Its the most blah feeling I've felt when reading a book. If you are going for blah, this is for you.

Story: Blah
Art: Blah
Price: $7.99

[Asho · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've read about how great Nancy Tafuri's books are for babies and toddlers, and this book was in the "Short and Sweet" book bundle I picked up at the library this week (thinking that Short and Sweet=baby friendly). This book didn't float my boat, though. I didn't think the illustrations were that interesting. I can't give you my son's opinion on them because he was nursing while I read this. Sometimes he pops up to look at the pictures if he finds them interesting, though, and this book didn't warrant a pop-up. The rhyme frustrated me, too. I couldn't seem to find the rhythm as I was reading it out loud, and approximate rhymes annoy me ("worry" does not rhyme with "strawberry," at least, not in my accent). When the words did rhyme exactly, the story they told didn't necessarily make sense. At the end of the book I turned to the book jacket to see if this had been originally written in another language and translated into English (which would perhaps explain the lack of rhythm and awkward rhymes), but no. The author is from Connecticut. Oh well, better luck next time!

[Christine Turner]

With squirms and squeals, five chicks scratch around the farmyard to find their breakfast. One by one, the chicks stumble upon the most unusual snacks--from a fuzzy butterfly to a shiny trout in the farm pond. Fortunately, Mama Hen is right there to point them back in the right direction. Caldecott Honor-winning illustrator Nancy Tafuri matches a bouncing, rhyming text and simple counting lesson to warm, sunny illustrations, making this a perfect book for any mama and her brood.

Sweet and springy illustrations will delight readers as the text counts from one to five little chicks. The Classic Board Book logo calls out this title's concept of counting on the front cover.

[Gail · Rating 1 out of 5]

My two year old really liked this book for the pictures, but I wasn't as enthusiastic. The rhymes are really forced. The chicks want to eat things like worms, ladybugs, strawberries, fish, and the mother hen leads them to to the corn patch instead. Chickens are omnivores and will eat grain, seeds, fruit, other vegetation, and worms and other insects. So why does this book insist they only eat corn?

[Miss Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good counting book for preschoolers.
Target sounds / f - p /
"F" Initial - 9 times
"P" Initial - 11 times; Medial - 1 time; Final - 10 times

In general the book targets the bilabial sounds / p - b - m - w / several times; all preschool sounds are well represented and would also be good for Final Consonant Deletion.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like William's text better in the Chicken Book, but choose Tafuri's large bright pictures for Lap Time. 4/11/14

This worked very well in Lap Time. Even with one page torn (I got back from vacation and didn't leave myself time to pre-read.) Should be at least a 3.5. I might even boost it to 4 stars. 4/22/14

I like to use this then play 5 Little Ducks and use the mitt.

[superawesomekt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is definitely for the youngest of listeners. I think my 4-year-old liked it a few times, but this would delight 1-2 year olds, I think. Very short, cute rhythm to it. The illustrations are nice, but I thought the writing was a little contrived. I wouldn't gift it to someone but I would check it out from the library again.

[Debra Lowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spring is in the air and, if you're in a farm community like I am, chicks are in the mail. Beautiful illustrations in a playful counting book. What will the chicks be eating? I read this at story time and got the appropriate preschool "ewww, I'm not eating that" right up until I didn't and they all had to admit they MIGHT like some strawberries.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My last boss always used to say that Tafuri was the toddler author to go to, but her books can work for infants as well. They are simple stories with bright colorful illustrations, with details to engage busy minds and fingers.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read at Baby Lap Time on 3/16/12: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

Read at Baby Lap Time on 8/17/12: http://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/...

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

The pictures in this book are cute, but nothing remarkable, and the rhymes were forced and difficult to read out loud. I thought that the author may be British since she rhymes "strawberry" with "worry", but no.

[Korinne Sackela · Rating 1 out of 5]

There were really weird rhythms that I felt really forced to try and read it. I was actually frustrated with the way the book read, there wasn't any flow and the pages don't correlate. I was not impressed.

[Mary Luzader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd seen a finger play very similar to this book. It lends itself well to an illustrated book. I thought it was a little long as a finger play to start with. Sweet, gentle pictures on the baby chicks on the farm.

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read at story time at the Auburn Library. It was a cute story. It taught what chicks eat.

[Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story about five little chicks finding something to eat.

[Wendy Kuzma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this cute little book. It would be fun to use in toddler time and have the kids scratch around like chickens. :)

[Allison Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Planning to use this with a flannel board in storytime. Super simple, rhyming text offers plenty of opportunity for actions as well as felts. Great for toddlers especially.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute for practicing rhyming words!

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boooooring! Would not recommend.

[Cat Fithian · Rating 2 out of 5]

The meter on the rhymes is haphazard. Illustrations are lovely, as is usual for her.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big illustrations always make Tafuri good for presenting to group.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five chicks and their mother peck in the corn patch in search of breakfast.

[Cemeread]

For toddlers

[Andria · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok but the rhymes seemed forced. Good for counting skills and can add to my duck story time but not a favorite.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely, large illustrations and a simple rhyme; perfect for group sharing with toddler or pre-school groups.

[Kristina]

Works great for story time with toddlers or preschoolers - plenty of interactive opportunities and chances to make voice different to catch their attention.

[Rachel B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book taught my daughter that chicks go "peep", so now we have a new animal in the mix for our renditions of Old McDonald Had a Farm.