Some of the Adventures of Rhode Island Red

A magazine writer gets lost in the wilds of Rhode Island but finds a story nonetheless--that of Rhode Island Red, a literal bantamweight who hatched from a hen's egg, grew older but never up, who can ``lick a fellow twenty times his size before breakfast and then rassle bears till lunch.'' Red's exploits--putting a pack of crafty foxes in their places; helping a politician deliver ``two chickens in every pot'' without betraying his heritage--provide high adventure and rib-tickling hilarity in the best tall-tale tradition. Manes's narrator--a garrulous farmer who has the journalist's ear and won't let go--possesses a flair for drama, many a colorful turn of phrase and an artful ability to stretch the truth in all directions. This fellow Red thus becomes a worthy heir to Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill and, more recently, Sid Fleischman's Josh McBroom. Illustrations not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)