The Problem with Chickens

The ladies of Iceland have a problem: the birds lay their eggs in nooks on the sides of steep cliffs, so the ladies have a very difficult time getting any of the eggs for baking. They go to town to buy chickens to lay eggs for them instead. For a while, everyone is happy: there are plenty of eggs to bake plenty of yummy things. But the ladies' problems are far from solved, for the more time the chickens spend with the ladies, the more they begin to act like them too, until eventually they stop laying eggs all together. Now this is a problem indeed, but you can be sure, the clever ladies will find a solution. Full of fun and silliness, this lighthearted tale and vibrant illustrations are a delight.

"The playful text is both silly and joyous, without a wasted word. Gunnella’s enchanting oil paintings are full of childlike humor and saturated with appealing primary colors. . . . A funny and inventive choice that is also a charming tribute to Icelandic culture and tradition." --School Library Journal, starred School Library Journal, Starred

"The juxtaposition of McMillan's minimal deadpan text and Icelandic artist Gunnella's comically literal paintings make for some unlikely hilarity." --Publishers Weekly, starred Publishers Weekly, Starred

"Illustrator Gunnella is an Icelandic Dayal Kaur Khalsa—her folk-art-inspired oil paintings have verve, vibrancy, and humor." —Horn Book Horn Book