The Loopy Coop Hens.(Brief article)(Children's review)(Book review)

* The Loopy Coop Hens

Janet Morgan Stoeke. Dutton, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-525-42190-0

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Stoeke trades her popular Minerva Louise character for a trio of similarly dim hens--Pip, Dot, and Midge--who "love Rooster Sam" for several reasons, not least because he can fly. The simple text and sentences are ideal for new readers, but it is Stoeke's loose, unfussy artwork that emphasizes the slapstick humor and carries much of the character development. The fowls' body language is especially hilarious in scenes where they attempt to fly and find themselves flat on the …