Claws, Paws, Feathers and Jaws

Claws, Paws, Feathers and Jaws: Katie Christine

Everyone wants to fit in and be part of a group. Sometimes appearances, color, race or even class order can alienate someone. Petunia is a hen that you will come to love and admire as she learns the true meaning of acceptance, friendship and love but not from the other hens, from a human named Silkie who loves and adores her, and a cat named Macy who at first wants to attack her and does and later perhaps they will become friends.

Petunia loves her garden and is not one for frills. She loves things of beauty and the garden and simple things make her happy. But bullies soar within her group and things don’t always appear to be friendly, as those that try to rival her, not understand her need for warmth, love and understand will do anything to bring her down and make her feel alone, unwanted and as an outcast in her own brood.

The issues in this book bring out acceptance, understanding friendship, ranking order, hope, loneliness and differences that can be overcome as Petunia assimilates into the human world helping Silkie as she calls her when hearing her crying and tossing bits of colored paper in the air. Artistic and able to help her with choosing the right paint colors from paint samples or swatches she learns the and embraces the warmth, kindness and love of someone she was supposed to fear while the other chickens watch and wonder and ponder what to do with Petunia.

Macy pretends to dislike Petunia because he is jealous of the attention, she is getting from Silkie but eventually they might bond because the other hens dislike and do not like the fact that she is part of two worlds their world and that of a human. As the story continues you can hear the gossipers talking about Petunia and her friendship with the owner of the house and while she tries to explain why she feels at home with this lady, they plot and plan the downfall.
Lies, saving face and creating a story that would pin the hens and get the Opras in an uproar along with the Wyandottes who might not come to their aid, and the Araucanas, Bernadette, Petunia’s worst foe creates a story that send the hens against each other. Claiming that Petunia and Silkie were planning something awful to happen to one of the hens, she gets them all riled up but when Bryn her mother and the one in charge of the brood plus Francine the leader hear her plan what happens next endangers everyone but the one that tries to save her and stop the carnage might be the one that loses it all.

Some of the hens are seriously hurt, one dies, and Bernadette is relentless but will her mother, Bryn side with her or will she realize what she is trying to do. Jealousy rings true, wanting to prove to her mother that she is smart and can outsmart Petunia and her two friends, Dennie and Melaine, Petunia is rendered helpless at one point. Bryn seeks out Francine to urge their Orpington flock forward, the sigh of blood scars them and most of the children are unable to resist what one hen has started and put in place.

Macy without anyone namely Silkie and Petunia knowing it tries to be the hero, but the ending will shock readers, place Petunia in a situation that might make things change for her but there is a lesson to be learned at the very end about trust, misunderstandings, faith and true friendship as Petunia finds herself in a situation that will change the complexion of the brood, another learns what happens when lies and betrayals might backfire and the hero of the story just might wind up out in the cold alone.

A story that educators can use to discuss how to handle situations where someone does not fit in and another tries to make the person feel like an outcast and the different strategies other than fighting, calling names and being hurtful can be discussed. Peer mediation might have been great if the hens knew the process. Parents can read this with teens and with young children teaching them what happens when lies and words become more than hurtful. Sunday school groups and even after school programs can deal with discipline issues and this book would be a great resource to start. Even roll playing pretending they are Petunia, Bernadette and other ways to handle and rewrite the situation. A great resource, great story and there is more to come in Book 2 as we find out what is next for the hens, Petunia, Macy, Bernadette and the rest. When the claws strike, the paws are injured, the feathers are ruffled and the jaws attack what will the final fate of some of the hens be when the night sets in ?
Fran Lewis: Just reviews