Old-Auntie the hen, endlessly patient, marvelously kind, helps Little Chick deal with frustration in three stories. As depicted in Jeram's (Guess How Much I Love You
) watercolor washes, Old-Auntie's feathered bulk dwarfs Little Chick, and her gestures—holding Little Chick between her wings for a kiss, bending down to peer at her when she's discouraged—are infused with tenderness. Old-Auntie helps Little Chick deal with her eagerness to harvest the carrot she planted; helps Little Chick endure the long wait until her kite finally flies; and assures Little Chick that the star in the night sky that she wants is better off staying just where it is (“I'm afraid the sky just wouldn't be the same without your star,” she says, her big feathery wing looped through Little Chick's spindly one). Hest's (Kiss Good Night
) light humor and Jeram's visual charm work as harmoniously together as Little Chick and Old-Auntie themselves. Ages 2–up. (Mar.)
