Oliver's Chickens

Ethel M. King-Shaw is a professor emeritus of curriculum and instruction
at the University of Calgary.

Oliver imagines that a flock of chickens accompany him wherever he goes:
to sleep in bed, to play ball, to attend school, to ride a bike, and to
have a picnic. Eventually, his parents devise a plan to rid Oliver of
his obsession. They plan a picnic on a small island in a nearby lake. Of
course, the ever-present imaginary chickens come along too. One of the
chickens, Doris, composes a rhyme specially for the occasion. The
chickens seem to enjoy their outing, and Oliver comes to realize that
the island might be a more appropriate home for them.

This is an imaginary story that fails to excite the imagination. The
activities are, for the most part, quite mundane, and attempts at humor
are rather meagre. The plot would have been enhanced by more unusual
situations: apart from their involvement with the chickens, young
readers will be able to identify with the everyday activities of Oliver
and his family only too well.