Published by Tundra Books 

Summary:  Sonya loves her three new chickens, and is very responsible about taking care of them.  She gives them food and water every day, cleans the coop, and is thrilled when she finds the first warm brown egg.  One night, she hears a loud squawking and is heartbroken to discover that a fox has found a hole in the fence and gotten one of her chickens.  Sonya’s father comforts her by telling her a story about how the fox needs food to feed his family.  “Even though it’s sad for us,” he explains, “we can understand why he did it.”  The family has a chicken funeral and fixes the fence, and Sonya goes back to taking good care of her chickens.  She is rewarded one day when one of the brown eggs hatches, and she now has three chickens again.  Ages 4-8.

Pros:  The cycle of life and death on a farm is well explained in a story that young children will be able to relate to.

Cons:  It’s not clear how two hens manage to produce a fertilized egg that hatches.