Emma at the Fair

Anne Hutchings, a former elementary-school teacher-librarian with the
Durham Board of Education, is an educational consultant.

Emma the chicken and her people are off to the Fall Fair. Upon arrival,
Emma is taken to the Poultry Barn, which, she tells us, “sound[s] and
smell[s] like Noah’s Ark.” It soon becomes clear that Emma is
expected to win a ribbon, and even though she doesn’t know what a
ribbon is, she is eager to win one to please her girl.

Emma tries very hard to cock-a-doodle-do like the roosters and
gobble-de-gobble like the turkeys in hopes of winning a ribbon, but all
to no avail. Tired out, Emma does what she does best—she lays one
perfect egg and goes to sleep. Ultimately (and predictably) Emma does
win a ribbon, just doing what comes naturally—being herself.

Barbara Spurll’s colourful cartoonlike illustrations add to the
enjoyment of the story and bring the farm and its animals to life.
Especially funny are those of Emma strutting like a turkey and in the
process hitting her head on the top of her cage, and her surprise
encounter with a jack-o’-lantern.

Plucky, resourceful, and eager to please, Emma is sure to be a
favourite with primary-grade children. Margaret Ruurs’s wonderful way
with words (“cacophony of cackles,” “the musky scent of mushrooms
and the sweet scent of apple pie,” “cool as a canteloupe”) could
be used to inspire students to incorporate descriptive language into
their own writing. Highly recommended.