Review Detail

‘The Great Mathemachicken: Hide and Go Beak’ by Nancy Krulik, illustrated by Charlie Alder, tells the story of Chirpy, a curious chick who wants to learn more about the world outside of the confines of her coop. When she finds the opportunity to sneak out, she follows the kids who live on the farm and takes the bus to school. While there, she learns of egg-citing experiments.

From an inclined plane that teaches her about gravity to a wheel and axle, lever, pulley, and even a pendulum, Chirpy learns about lots of simple machines that fascinate her. The other chickens aren’t as intrigued by school, math, and learning as she is, but she presses on, as she wants to find a solution to save her coop from a hungry fox. The chickens eventually work together and use the playground equipment to help them catch the fox by creating a simple machine of their own from what Chirpy has learned.

The puns in the book (egg-citing, egg-stra, etc.) are adorable and lend to the fun nature of the story. It is particularly adorable that the illustrator chose to have Chirpy wear a bow in her hair with numbers in it, showing that she is invested in learning. None of the other chicks have something like this that they wear. There is also a simple machine activity at the back of the book for young readers to try something out for themselves. This short, but sweet, chapter book is perfect for young readers who enjoy science, math, inventing, or even just learning something new.