00000230

Although I prefer the audio edition of The Case of the Tender Cheeping Chickies, the print edition is also good. The two advantages I find to reading the printed editions are the illustrations and being able to spell the names. Without this book I would have thought Maurice the road grader's mutt's name was Dipsy, as Hank the cowdog keeps garbling it, instead of 'Dixie'.

Hank garbles a lot of words, as usual. Drover finally loses patience with Hank getting his name wrong and interrupting him, and talks back. Hank can dish out scoldings, but can't take them. Heh.

If you enjoy the Abbott and Costello quality of Hank and Drover's conversations, you'll get several of those here. (If you're not familiar with that classic comedy duo, do look them up. They still get parodied.) Hank's explanation about the septic tank pond he calls 'Emerald Pond' would earn him a big red 'F' for failure in history. Loved his description of the Statue of Liberty and what he did with 'The New Colossus,' Emma Lazarus' poem about Lady Liberty. Hank and Drover's mangling of Alexander Pope's quotation about hope springing eternal in the human breast is one of the highlights of this entry.

Hank and his best enemy, Pete the Barncat, have two encounters this time. Which animal will win? Pete is pretty darn good at fooling our hero.

The chickies in the title are bought from Maurice's [pronounced 'MOH-reese'] wife, Betty, as a county fair project for Little Alfred [pronounced 'Alferd'] Loper. The scene where Maurice talks Hank's master, High Loper, into buying the chicks and more, should be familiar to parents.

Hank just loooooves chickens -- as food. Little Alfred entrusts his future prize-winners' safety to Hank. Is that going to be like asking a fox to guard the hen house? Hank sings a song about temptation, but the song he shares with the little chicks gives readers more reason to worry.

Notes:

See chapter five for High Loper and hired hand Slim Chance's system for 'organizing' their spare machine parts. (I share Hank's opinion.)

See chapter eight for more information about the infamous Co-Op dog food that Hank has so often complained about.

When Hank tells us he suspects Sally Mae Loper might not like him in chapter nine, that's putting it mildly. Her nickname for him is 'Hank McNasty'. The Case of the One-Eyed Killer Stud Horse and The Case of the Double Bumblebee Sting are two good books for illuminating relations between the mistress of the ranch and the Head of Ranch Security.

I do recommend the audio edition for the voices, sound effects (particularly the rocket one for the dogs' running their fastest), and the singing.

Dog lovers already know that this series is for them.
Cat lovers may not be happy with Pete the Barncat's activities this time. ( )