Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Summary:  Cranky Chicken is constantly…well, cranky.  Then along comes Speedy, a worm with a perennially upbeat attitude, and things begin to change.  In five chapters the two slowly become good friends, and Speedy is occasionally successful in changing Cranky’s outlook on life.  The final chapter sees Cranky overcome a fear of heights to help Speedy realize his dream of flying, and even Cranky has to admit that it was pretty great.  116 pages; grades 1-4.

Pros:  Fans of Narwhal and Jellyfish will happily embrace this new pair of friends and their comic-style adventures.  There’s plenty of humor, friendship, and good simple watercolor art in mostly pastels with a few bright highlights (like Cranky’s expressive unibrow).  I hope there will be some sequels!

Cons:  The font looks like hand-lettered printing, which may take some getting used to for early readers.