Armadilly Chili

by Helen Ketterman

Book Review

School Library Journal :

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PreS-Gr 2-When the winds of a Texas "blue norther" bend cactuses to the curves of the desert hills, Miss Billie Armadilly decides to make a pot of chili. Modeled after the Little Red Hen, the task-focused armadillo asks for assistance from Tex the tarantula, Mackie the bluebird, and Taffy the horned toad, but all three are too busy to help. Ever resourceful, Miss Billie single-handedly gathers a bunch of beetles, picks a peck of peppers, chops up prickly pear cactus, and cooks up her specialty. That evening, her hungry pals ask for a taste, but she tells them, "No workin' with Billie, no sharin' the chili!" However, when the proud and somewhat angry armadillo sits down to eat, she sadly discovers one precious ingredient missing from the concoction-the love of her friends. Terry's vibrant cartoon artwork adds personality to Billie and her large-eyed companions. Done in jewel tones, the scenes depict the warmth of the desert landscape as well as that of the creatures' friendship. The rhythmic text reads aloud well and the dialogue has a western flavor. Pair this variant of the classic story with Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel's Cook-a-Doodle-Doo! (Harcourt, 1999) to spark a discussion of colorful characters in traditional tales.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX

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K-Gr. 3. Yee haw! This Texas-style takeoff on “The Little Red Hen” bubbles with southwestern flavor. Miss Billie Armadilly is hankerin' for a pot of hot armadilly chili but her friends--tarantula Tex, bluebird Mackie, and horned Taffy the toad--have excuses for not helping her gather a boxful of beetles, pick a peck of peppers, and chop prickly pear cactus. “No workin' with Billie, no sharin' the chili,” is Miss Billie's retort when the smell of the bubbling chili brings her friends to her door, but the chili tastes flat until her buddies return bringing sacks of apologies and goodies; friends, it seems were the missing ingredient. Ketteman flavors the tale and message with plenty of pizzazz. Terry uses hot, intensely saturated, southwestern colors to spice the comedy, and embellishes each critter's characteristics with clever details, such as Tex's bolo tie. A surefire hit for the lap-sit crowd.
JulieCummins.

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