The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Mackintosh, David

Waiting for Chicken Smith

32 pp. | Candlewick | May, 2019 | Trade ISBN 978-1-5362-0771-2 $16.99

(2) K-3 On vacation with his family, a child waits for his friend Chicken Smith, who usually stays at a nearby cabin (observant readers will notice the for-rent sign). Our narrator reminisces about previous summer escapades, including their favorite pastime--searching for whales--while his sister repeatedly calls for him to see something important. Teals, grays, and blacks dominate Mackintosh’s scratchy, loose-lined illustrations in this poignant Australian import about change.

Reviewer: Julie Danielson | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019