For Sure! For Sure! Book

In Mus White's skillful adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's folk story, There Is No Doubt About it, the news that a hen has lost a feather grows into a tale of five chickens engaged in battle as the story spreads from coop to coop. Stefan Czernecki's bright primary illustrations and panel design reflect the comic boldness with which each chicken passes along the story, until it is no longer recognizable to the hen who started it all.

Laura Ruttig - Children's Literature

In this hilarious moral fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen, the gossip travels faster than the feathers can fall, and the story gets blown way out of proportion. It all begins with a simple over-heard quote from a very respectable hen. "The more I pluck myself, the more gorgeous I look," she says, referring to one little feather that has fallen out. From there, the exaggerations grow larger and larger until one feather has turned into five bald chickens. Mocking society's tendency to believe the worst and to gossip about it far and wide, Andersen's story still feels fresh and amusing today. Czernecki's use of large blocks of color and strikingly simple illustrations soften the occasional harshness of Andersen's story, giving it instead a fun and friendly feel. The bright primary colors, combined with bold lines around simple shapes, complement the story perfectly by emphasizing the comic aspect of how small things can take on epic proportions, for sure, for sure! 2004, August House Publishers, Ages 5 to 8.