EASTER CHICK, THE

Hilda the hen has laid an egg that is extremely slow to hatch. One day, she is surprised by a voice from within asking when Easter will be. It seems that the unhatched chick has heard others in the coop talking about "how lovely Easter is" and decides to emerge on that day. After conferring with Max the owl, Hilda follows his three-step instructions to assist her offspring in planning her birth date. The entertaining artwork reveals the mother hen's nonstop activities while also showing what the chick is doing inside her egg-pacing, twiddling her thumbs, etc. Through the course of the story, readers discover that "Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon that comes after the first day of spring." Though children may not be particularly interested in learning this bit of trivia, they will enjoy the scratchboard-and-oil illustrations. Young listeners will also appreciate the fact that the "baby" appears to be running this show.