Henry Holt and Company (BYR), Juvenile Fiction - 40 pages. Thats why, when a school-wide poetry jam is announced in class, Lily is terrified. Illustrator’s agent: Teresa Kietlinski, Prospect Agency. Chicken Lily by Mortensen, Lori Seller World of Books Ltd Condition Very Good ISBN 9781627791205 Item Price 25.73. Chicken Lily may be a lot of things-a careful colorer, a patient puzzler, and a quiet hide-and-seeker (she never made a peep)-but brave has never been one of them. Author’s agent: Liza Voges, Eden Street Literary. Mortensen gooses this story of newfound confidence through the liberal use of chicken-themed wordplay (“She wished she could fly the coop” “Lily nearly molted”), but her obvious didactic intentions, coupled with Crittenden’s ( Cedric and the Dragon) flat, straight-on drawings may hold the attention of only the very youngest readers. When Lily’s teacher announces a poetry slam, Lily does everything she can to not take part, declaring her home “a poem-free zone” and showing her teacher a long to-do list that includes such items as “Feather my nest” and “Put all my eggs in one basket.” Finally, Lily decides that “writing a poem was sort of like putting together a puzzle,” and while she can’t totally escape stage fright, she’s able to recite her poem without a hitch. Chicken Lily may be a lot of things-a careful colorer, a patient puzzler, and a quiet hide-and-seeker (she never made a peep )-but brave has never been one of them. Theres a very cute twist at the end that really makes this chicken Chicken. “Lily wasn’t taking any chances,” writes Mortensen ( Cowboy Clyde and Dirty Dawg). In this fun, humorous book, Lily overcomes her problem with the help of her friends. Lily, a fearful fowl, still uses training wheels, never raises her hand in class (even when she knows the answer), and won’t try new foods at lunch.

Chicken Lily by Lori Mortensen