The Chicken Problem by Billy Aronson, illustrated by Jennifer Oxley Ages 3-6 32 pages Random House September 2012 Hardcover     Peg, Cat, and Pig can’t eat their pie, because they are surrounded by one hundred wild chickens! “Really big problem!” says Peg. They can’t get all the chickens back into the coop by singing, dancing, begging or commanding, but they can with wheelbarrow and baby carriage rides (“Chickens really love going for a ride”). The Chicken Problem is filled with number activities. There is addition on the bottom of the page, forward and backward counting throughout the text, and a simple equation on the first page. Set against a background of used graph paper, the illustrations contain math symbols, faded equations and counting opportunities. It’s not on every page, but several sections of the story contain rhyme and repetition. Peg’s chipper dialogue adds personality to this humorous story about numbers and problem solving.     web reviews   Tanya Boudreau/2013 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)