  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 07/01/2012 Gr 4–6—Urban chickens are all the rage these days, with coops and hen runs sprouting up along with beans and tomatoes in veggie patches. However, the demands of poultry-keeping can prove onerous, and neighbors might complain even when the birds are legal-so, what to do? A place like Chicken Run Rescue is the ideal answer. Heppermann's chatty, anecdote-filled text records the efforts of a Minneapolis couple to rescue unwanted and abandoned chickens and relocate them. Like many rescue operations, Chicken Run depends on a network of foster and adoptive "parents." Colorful photos of chickens and interacting humans lend visual interest to the unfolding stories. Tales, such as of 106 rooster chicks stolen from a biology lab but dumped in a ditch by the side of the road and of McNamara, an arthritic rooster who taught himself to sleep comfortably on his back rather than painfully on a roost, are included. Heppermann discusses her own chicken adoptions and recommends that educators eliminate those annual "hatching" projects. While most readers of this heartwarming book will not rush out to adopt chickens, those who are inspired to do so may wish to look into Jenna Woginrich's relaxed and informative Chick Days: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens from Hatchlings to Laying Hens (Storey, 2011) before taking the final leap. A warm, inviting look into an unusual facet of animal rescue efforts.—Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2012 This photoessay chronicles the work of Mary Britton Clouse and her husband, Burt, who have created an inner-city rescue shelter for abandoned and relinquished chickens in Minneapolis. Heppermann engagingly outlines Clouse’s motivations (“Chickens are the most abused, exploited animals on the planet. . . . They are the ones who need friends the most”), her methods and shelter set-up, and, of course, the various chickens who have become temporary or permanent “guests.” At a time when backyard chicken coops are becoming more common, the book offers kids and adults a timely and fresh perspective on pet poultry. On a page aimed at educators, the author suggests a source for alternative lessons to classroom hatching projects, since “hatching projects encourage the view that animals are disposable objects instead of beings requiring a lifetime of care and commitment.” Brief information on caring for city chickens is also provided. The clear photographs and informative text provide strong evidence for the abuses chicken face and for their enormous appeal as pets. Although the compositions occasionally get a bit busy, the combination of multiple typefaces, numerous photos, muted earth tones, and decorative details generally results in an attractive, homespun-looking whole. Animal-loving city and country kids alike will find this worth clucking about; either way, adults should be prepared for the inevitable question afterwards: “Can we get a chicken?” JH - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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