Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind

by Monica Silvie, Elina Ellis

Overview

A cheeky chickadee discovers he’s not quite who he thinks he is. Meet Chickadee. Criminal. Rapscallion. All-around bad seed. Sure, he started out obeying the rules, following his parents’ advice to not go near houses. But then, winter arrives. And it’s so much harder to find food! So when he spies a “vault” of “gold” near a house, Chickadee devises a plan to snatch some without getting caught! He’s the King of Thieves! Only, hmm, the humans seem to want him to visit the vault. Maybe Chickadee’s not a criminal after all? Kids will fall in love with this endearing masked “bandit,” as he slowly figures out what they knew about him all along!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781525310430
Publisher:	Kids Can Press, Limited
Publication date:	06/07/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	95 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Monica Silvie practiced law for over fifteen years before returning to her earliest passion, writing for children. She has a certificate in illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind is her first book.;Elina Ellis was born in Ukraine and has an MA in children’s book illustration from Anglia Ruskin University. She creates both her own books and illustrates books for others, including The Reptile Club and This Is the Path the Wolf Took. She lives in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Editorial Reviews

05/09/2022

Debut author Silvie’s comic conceit is that a chickadee—as familiar a backyard bird as they come—actually harbors a dark tell-all story. As a group of animal friends gather ’round, and Chickadee relates its “life of crime,” it quickly becomes apparent that this nefariousness was all inside its adorable, black-masked head. Chickadee was warned by loving parents to stay away from human houses, but homes are where the food is, and Chickadee is certain that obtaining it requires guerilla tactics, which Ellis (Shhh! I’m Reading!) maps out with a wink and nudge (“First, I scout the area, checking out my target from every angle”). One day in the middle of winter, Chickadee hears two peach-skinned human children extolling its cuteness, and understands that it isn’t a thief at all: “I’m not even a bad seed. I’m just a little bird being a bird.” A late-in-the-story reference to Chickadee being lonely doesn’t allow for much exploration of that topic, but overall, it’s a snappily told picture book, and visually striking, too. Readers fly through habitats and seasons depicted in imaginatively varied compositions—including the proverbial bird’s-eye view—and soft, textured color reminiscent of lithography. Back matter includes facts about the black-capped chickadee. Ages 4–7. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind ... is a fine example of edutainment in which young readers are both entertained and informed.—CM Magazine

... a snappily told picture book, and visually striking, too.—Publishers Weekly

... I expect you'll read this book over and over again. There's no crime in that!—The New York Times

From the Publisher