View source for Lulu The Big Little Chick by Paulette Bogan

{{infobox2
|title=Lulu The Big Little Chick
|author=Paulette Bogan
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Lulu is fed up of being small, so she decides to head off to the far reaches of the farmyard and prove she can do everything big chicks can do. It's a nice story, but the well-worn ground means you may want to weigh it up against similar books to find the perfect one for you.
|rating=3.5
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=32
|publisher=Bloomsbury
|date=July 2009
|isbn=978-1408802021
|aznuk=1408802023
|aznus=1408802023
|cover=1408802023
}}

Lulu is fed up of being little. She wants to do all the things that big chicks can do, so she packs her bag and decides to head far far away on the farm. On her travels, she meets the other animals and soon discovers that she misses her mummy.

''Lulu The Big Little Chick'' is a familar ''I'm a big girl now'' story, which will strike a chord with many young children who feel the same. Childhood is a difficult time, with so many things you can't do. It's always great for children to identify with themselves in books and recognise any feelings they may be having. Although the message (rightly) isn't hammered home, there are useful lessons to learn.

As useful as it may prove for some children, I wasn't blown away by ''Lulu''. The familiar theme means it needs something special to raise it above the crowd. In the same vein, with a book set on a farmyard, the illustrations need to be head and shoulders above similar books to be worth choosing ahead of them. The story is fine, the illustrations are fine and it's a nice book that everyone can enjoy. Sometimes that's more than good enough, but at other times, picture books really do need to be superb. It's a good book, but it's not a must-have.

I always feel mean when criticising a book for 'merely' being good. Sorry! Do have a glance through ''Lulu'' in the library or in the bookshop in case it sparks for you. Animal-loving children who are trying to find their place in the world will particularly enjoy it.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

[[Little Bear's Little Boat by Eve Bunting]] is about coming to terms with getting bigger, rather than coming to terms with being small, but the message of appreciating who you are does work both ways. Fun farmyard tales include [[The Cow That Laid An Egg by Andy Cutbill]], [[Ping Pong Pig by Caroline Jayne Church]] and [[Farmer Joe and the Music Show by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees]].

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