Emma's Cold Day

Mary St. Onge-Davidson is president of the Essential English Centre in
Ottawa.

After two earlier delightful appearances—Emma’s Eggs (1996) and Emma
and the Coyote (1999)—the plucky little hen is back. This time it’s
the middle of winter and Emma’s unable to sleep because her beak
won’t stop chattering from the miserable cold in the henhouse. Soon
Emma discovers that she is not the only hen with a chattering beak and
sets out through the barnyard to find out what the other farm animals
are doing to keep warm. Alas, her efforts at copying her barnyard
friends fail miserably and she becomes increasingly cold. As nighttime
falls she finally settles in the branches of a spruce tree outside the
farm-house window. Luckily, the farmer and his family notice Emma, out
of the henhouse and half-frozen. He then realizes he forgot to turn on
the henhouse heat lamp and quickly solves the problem.

Margriet Ruurs relates Emma’s barnyard adventure with both humor and
empathy. The simple, well-written text is ideal for read-alouds, yet
challenging and fast-paced enough that the book will appeal to children
of all ages.

From the cow pies in the barn to the amused faces of the animals,
Barbara Spurll’s vividly colored illustrations and humorous touches
bring all the barnyard characters to life. Highly recommended.