Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick?

Did you ever wonder whether the rather supercilious hen Rosie was ever captured by the fox who stalked her surreptitiously round the farmyard? We now have the answer, 47 years on from the publication of Pat Hutchins’ classic picture book. Rosie has hatched her own chick and the narrative revolves around her search for her baby. As with the original book, reading the pictures is essential to understanding all the elements of the story. The reader can see baby chick and also a familiar figure – the fox who has also become a parent.

The text is still minimal, although there are slightly more words than in Rosie’s Walk, and there is plenty of repetition, supportive for beginner readers and suitable for enjoyable joining in when read aloud. Pat Hutchins has used the same colour palette with its strong focus on red, orange, yellow and green, transporting nostalgic adults back to where they were when they first encountered Rosie’s farmyard perambulation.