Mavis the Bravest

Mavis, a russet-hued barnyard hen, is also portrayed as a bit of a scaredy cat—and as prior collaborators Fraser and Warburton (One Camel Called Doug) note, she’s none too happy about it. “ ‘Some chickens,’ she whispered, ‘are filled to the top,/ brimming with bravery and courage nonstop./ But if there was courage inside me... it’s GONE!/ And I can’t find the switch that turns bravery on!’ ” But when Mavis, up late knitting, spots a sheep rustler, the prospect of losing her sheep friend Sandra and her source of wool catalyzes the discovery of her own, heretofore unknown, bravery reserves. After sending Marge the chicken for help, Mavis looks deep within herself—then commandeers a tractor, gives chase, and swings herself via hand-knit lariat onto the getaway truck and pecks the thief straight into a stream. This familiar tale of courage unleashed gets bravura visual treatment via moonlit drawings that brim with the comic verve of classic animation. Whether showing Mavis peering down on the crime scene, summoning her courage on a bale of hay, or hurtling through space with a hyper-extended “CLUCCCCKKKKAAA-AAAARRGGGHHH,” she’s a protagonist rendered with 100% pure pluck. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)