The Trouble with Chickens - (J.J. Tully Mysteries) by Doreen Cronin (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

From the bestselling, award-winning author-illustrator team of Doreen Cronin and Kevin Cornell comes the first book in a heavily illustrated, hilarious chapter book series about the adventures of a dog detective. Perfect for fans of Sara Pennypacker's Clementine series and Jarrett J. Krosoczka's Lunch Lady series.

J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he's not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs) and their chicken mom show up demanding his help to find their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are there dark forces at work--or is J.J. not smelling the evidence that's right in front of him?

From the Back Cover

J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he's not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs) and their chicken mom show up demanding his help to find their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to track down clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are there dark forces at work--or is J.J. not smelling the evidence that's right in front of him?

Review Quotes

"Cronin brings her droll humor to the chapter book set with great success. Fast-paced and funny, with interesting vocabulary and a well-constructed plot, this is terrific fare for readers who are ready to move beyond picture books, but are intimidated by longer works." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The noirlike detective Tully and the funny chickens running around, well, like chickens make appealing characters, especially as drawn by Cornell, who knows how to get TV cartoon-style humor out of the action." -- Booklist

Praise for Doreen Cronin's DIARY OF A FLY: "Irresistible and undeniably super." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Praise for Doreen Cronin's DIARY OF A FLY: "Teeming with funny vignettes." -- New York Times

Praise for Doreen Cronin's DIARY OF A FLY: "Will have kids laughing out loud." -- School Library Journal (starred review)

Praise for Doreen Cronin's DIARY OF A FLY: "Like its predecessors, this diary is a crowd-pleaser." -- ALA Booklist

Praise for Doreen Cronin's DIARY OF A FLY: "Impeccable comedic timing." -- Horn Book Magazine

Praise for Doreen Cronin's DIARY OF A SPIDER: "Once again, brilliantly hilarious." -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for Doreen Cronin's DIARY OF A SPIDER: "A rib-tickling sequel." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Praise for Doreen Cronin's DIARY OF A SPIDER: "Hits squarely on the middle-grade funnybone." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books