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above: Chuck first spies the little magic blue seed...
Chick Chuck -written by Bill Martin Jr. & illustrated by Steven Salerno published by Winslow Press, 2000.
A rooster named Chicken Chuck eats a blue seed and magically sprouts a large blue feather from the middle of his forehead, in his mind making him totally unique. However he becomes unbearably bossy with the other farmyard animals... until a trip the circus opens his eyes (sort of).
"Children are likely to be dazzled by the illustrations; it's a spectacular debut for Salerno" -Kirkus Reviews
“What really makes this book, however, is the art. The hologramlike cover, with its silver, foil-like background, beckons youngsters. The blue feather is decorated with silver filigree, a leitmotiv repeated to the endpapers. The retro-looking mixed-media illustrations are reminiscent of fanciful 1950s designs. The same page may include dazzling color images along with soft-black charcoal outlines. The former highlight the plot action while the latter accent the pastoral setting. Every page is a whimsical visual treat” - School Library Journal
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above: detailed cropped view of the reflective foil cover for Chicken Chuck.
see Steven’s complete list of published picture books to date
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above: detailed cropped view of the traveling circus scene.
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above: preliminary rough SKETCH developing the look of the main character, Chicken Chuck.