Sinclair, the Velociraptor Who Thought He Was a Chicken

April 8, 2024
Rees (Buttercup the Bigfoot) and Bernstein (Ear Worm!) cast readers way, way back to the days of “Edna the very first chicken... hatching her very first eggs.” She’s just successfully welcomed seven fluffy yellow daughters when neighbors Ankylosaurus, Parasaurolophus, and Triceratops point out an eighth egg. Edna knows the spotted egg isn’t hers, but with diligence and devotion, she and her growing daughters hatch Sinclair. While feathered like them, Sinclair is “a very odd bird.” Hopeless at chicken behavior—he “didn’t have a beak, so his nose was always sore” after pecking for worms—he is nonetheless unconditionally loved by his family. And when Gorgosaurus snatches two of Sinclair’s sisters to snack on, Sinclair uses his powers of speed to save them, and is declared “the best chicken ever” in a family group hug. Though it takes the title and an end note to clarify Sinclair’s species among other listed dinosaurs, this kinder, funnier “Ugly Duckling” story is a visual treat: digital artwork depicts the instantly winning, warmhearted cast with elegant hand-painted watercolor textures, while playful typography amplifies the brisk-moving action. Readers should give it a cheer—or, as Sinclair would say, a “RAUUUGH!” Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Emily Keyes, while at Fuse Literary. Illustrator’s agent: Anne Moore-Armstrong, Bright Agency.