The morning sun is rising, but where's Ned's "cock-a-doodle-doo?" Ned's just not a morning bird. Daisy Mae and the other farm hens have an egg business to run, and they've no use for a lazy, mixed-up rooster. It's time to call in another rooster! So what's Ned to do? To his surprise, when a crisis occurs, Ned finds his very own calling after all. "The Mixed-Up" rooster is a funny read-aloud with a gentle lesson: It's okay to be different. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

PreS-Gr 2 The sun rises over the henhouse, awakening Daisy Mae. Once again she must tell the other hens that there will be no time for breakfast, because the rooster has overslept. Ned is just âÇ£not a morning bird.âÇ  Exasperated, Daisy Mae calls down to the head office for a replacement. Ned leaves the henhouse in a huff and spies on his replacement while he sulks in a nearby tree. When night falls, he frolics with a new group of nocturnal friends. In the midst of all the fun, he spies a black snake slithering into the henhouse and sounds the alarm, thus saving the eggs. His former boss is so grateful for his quick thinking that she creates a perfect new position for him, head of night security. This lighthearted story is written in an uncomplicated, comical style and has vibrant illustrations that are full of personality and charm. The facial expressions of Ned and Daisy Mae are particularly amusing. Children will appreciate the message that although Ned is different from most other roosters, he has his own special talents. This humorous tale of woe could be paired with Mary Jane AuchâÇÖs Bantam of the Opera (Holiday House, 1997), the story of another uniquely talented rooster. Linda L. Walkins, Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Brighton, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

PreS. When sleepy rooster Ned is fired from his job for failing to wake the barnyard at dawn ( You're ruining my egg business, screeches his hen boss, Daisy Mae), he becomes a night bird and plays with bats, rabbits, and tree frogs. One dark night, he saves the henhouse from a slithery predator, crowing as never before. Then Daisy Mae gives him a job that suits him: head of night security. With comic details that illustrate the verbal puns ( henpecking ), the large, bright, neon-colored pictures extend the barnyard farce of the sleepy outsider who proves himself. Best of all is the final scene of the wide-awake rooster in his new role, with cap, flashlight, and keys--and a little teddy bear in his belt. In the tradition of Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Moo (2000), the small creature finds his power. HazelRochman. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.