Whitney and Britney: Chicken Detectives by Lucinda Gifford

Title: Whitney and Britney: Chicken Detectives

Author: Lucinda Gifford

Genre: Mystery

Publisher: Scholastic Australia

Published: 1^st November 2020

Format: Hardback

Pages: 32

Price:  $17.99

Synopsis:

• Sequel to bestselling Whitney and Britney: Chicken Divas featured in ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime 2020
• The Chicken Divas are back! And this time, they have a mystery to solve . . .
• Sparkly gold, holographic foil cover
• Hilarious story about chickens who moonlight as jazzy divas
• From the creator of the CBCA Notable book, Dogasaurus
• Themes: friendship, music, jazz, glitter, following your passion

Whitney and Britney are two gorgeous chooks, fluffy and silky with stunning good looks.

Dora’s glamorous chooks are hot on the trail of a mystery. But will long lost Gloria ever be found? The diva detectives are determined to crack the case!

~*~

Lucinda Gifford has been having an amazing year. From illustrating the Monty’s Island books, to her middle grade novel, The Wolves of Greycoat Hall (published earlier this year by Walker Books), and the sequel to Whitney and Britney: Chicken Divas, reviewed here today.

In Whitney and Britney: Chicken Detectives, Whitney ad Britney are asked to search for Dora’s friend, Gloria, who has gone missing. Where is Gloria? Whitney and Britney are on the case, searching the town high and low to find Gloria.

From the start, this book is an experience. The brightly coloured and sparkly cover invites readers in, and the illustrations, also by Lucinda, are bursting with colour and life, creating Whitney and Britney’s world evocatively and ensuring that the excitement of the rhyming text is felt as the illustrations are explored, and work with the text to tell a fun and inventive story about cooperation and helping friends in times of need.

Picture books these days are utilising lots of rhyming and recognizable words for young children, to help them build their literacy and engagement with language. It can also help them build their understanding of storytelling and the different ways words and language can be used. This one was delightful and filled with a mystery that won’t worry younger readers and will engage them in wanting to find out where Gloria is.

I’ve been really enjoying reading picture books and all kinds of kids literature and books lately, and I think this must be one of the most beautiful I’ve read so far this year.