It's been a long winter and I'm eagerly looking forward to spring. Our fruit trees have begun to bloom, there are yellow dandelions in the sheltered corners of the yard, and the feed store has chicks in metal stock tanks with heat lamps casting a red glow on the tiny babies. The tanks are always surrounded by children watching the chicks.

Chicks are a sure sign that spring is here - or that it will be soon. When I saw the cover design of Lisa Steele's new book for children, Let's Hatch Chicks!: Explore the Wonderful World of Chickens and Eggs, I immediately thought "spring!" The yellow and blue cover reminds me of warm sunshine and blue sky, plus there are cute chicks.

Let's Hatch Chicks! is written for children ages 7-10, in kindergarten to third grade. I think its appeal goes well beyond the recommended ages in both directions. The story is simple and easy for a young child to follow: Violet, a lavender Orpington hen, is ready to become a mother and hatch eggs.

The book also explains how chicks develop inside the eggs day by day, and will hold the interest of older children and adults as well. The illustrations are charming and will enchant all ages.

Woven throughout Violet's story of laying eggs, keeping them warm and hatching her chicks are suggestions for caring for a broody hen, plus some fun chick facts.

You'll also find a section on incubating eggs if you don't happen to have a motherly Violet in your flock. Or maybe your family succumbed to those fluffy chicks at the feed store and brought a few home; if so, Let's Hatch Chicks! will show you how to set up a brooder to raise your motherless babies and how a child can safely hold and interact with a young chick.

The technical terms on each page are in bold text (such as egg tooth and nesting box) and are explained in the glossary at the end of the book. This is truly an educational book as well as being entertaining.


I took my copy of Let's Hatch Chicks! (affiliate link) along when I visited my grandchildren this spring. My grandson remembers my chickens from his previous visits and likes to find chicken pictures to show me. He and his family enjoyed Violet's sweet story.

The images below contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.

Related Posts:

101 Chicken-Keeping Hacks, by Lisa Steele

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