Chicken Scratches: Poultry Poetry and Rooster Rhymes by George Shannon and Lynn Brunelle

Ok, so this one is just for fun. This is a picture book length collection of silly and sometimes irreverent poems about chickens. There are jokes about laying eggs of various sizes and shapes and references to other quirky chicken folklore that is specific to our culture, like "You think a wishbone is luck?/ Just make a wish and snap it?/My wishbone's lucky tucked inside,/ where nobody can crack it." The poetry is funny, but on it's own it would not have been worth much mention. The thing that makes this book a success is the combination of text, illustration and book design. Scott Menchin's color cartoon illustrations are a great match for the text. His chickens are simple, but have a lot a personality. He does a good job capturing the punch line of each poem. In addition, the book designer (maybe it was the illustrator) chose fun fonts and type setting for each poem. There are even little embossed chicken footprints on the cover. It is a great choice for the reluctant poetry reader, or for anyone who wants to have a little fun.