Rooster Crows

Boastful Rooster learns his place in the pecking order in this barnyard tale about humility. Since the sun rises each morning just as Rooster crows, the big bird bets the other animals that he can use his obviously superior power to call the sun up at midnight. The nearby birds accept the challenge and wait to see if Rooster will be able to perform the feat. When a falling star appears during a particularly loud cock-a-doodle-doo, the flocks of feathered spectators wonder if nature's balance has been upset, and two take advantage of the occasion to make a wish: Rooster, that he hadn't boasted so much, and a bird bystander, that she hadn't teased Rooster so much. A brilliant sunrise a few hours later sets everything aright. Scamell's (Buster's Echo) text has a slightly biting tone which keeps pace with her haughty, bickering characters. Riches's (Giraffes Have More Fun) vivid palette saturates the pages with rich oranges, greens and blues. The birds' plumage proves an excellent canvas for interesting color combinations as well. Ages 3-up. (Sept.)