About the Gertrude McCluck Books....
The original Gertrude McCluck, Chicken In Charge series books are handmade barn-shaped books featuring an attached riddle bookmark, “Scoop from the Coop” fact page and photographic illustrations (one per chapter) which readers crow about. Each full color book (28-60 pp) combines a little science, history and humor as the title character, a buff orpington chicken, solves mysteries on Gerny Acres with the help of Hermes, the horse, Skittles, the dog, and others. The early chapter books are geared for the 6-10 yr. old reader, but work for a variety of ages. Gertrude Sees...On the Farm is designed for the younger emergent reader.
Click a link from the table below to read a description and excerpts from each book
Volume 1: |
Volume 2: |
Volume 3: |
Volume 4: |
Volume 5: |
Gertrude Sees on the Farm |
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Scroll down to learn about the entire series.....
Vol. 1: The Missing Eggs
Gertrude McCluck is on the case as the "Chicken In Charge" of the Gerny Acres farm. The rumor flying around the coop is that Ester, the bunny who lives under the coop, is stealing the eggs. Several of the oval jewels have been reported missing. Can Gertrude and her trusty security team solve this mystery in time to save its most precious commodity?
Excerpt:
...Babs preened her feathers importantly. She paused and said, "I heard that Rose has been talking to the rabbits that live under the coop. She told them they could take her eggs to give to someone named 'Ester'."
"Ester who?"
"I don't know. Just 'Ester Bunny', I guess."
Chick-a-dee thought for a moment and said, "What would a rabbit want with eggs?"
"I hear she's an artist and uses them in her work."
"What does she do - smash eggs on a canvas?", Chick-a-dee snickered.
--excerpt from Vol 1: The Missing Eggs
Vol. 2: The Great Crate Mystery
Gertrude McCluck discovers an unauthorized crate on the Gerny Acres farm. It is up to Gertrude and her trusty security team to find out what's in the strange box and why it's on her farm. The Chicken In Charge leaves no beak unturned in solving this case.
Excerpt:
...It was a cloudy day. The wind was out of the south and blowing strong
across the
It looked like a typical day on the farm, but to the untrained eye, looks can be deceiving. It started when the van drove on the yard with a trailer full of boards, nails and paint. Our farmer, Julia, and her dad unloaded everything into the shed. Over the next few days I could hear the saw buzzing, hammers pounding and a few choice words here and there.
--excerpt from Vol 2: The Great Crate Mystery
Vol. 3: The Yellow-Eyed Pond Monster
One by one animals are missing. Around a moonlit pond, Hermes, the horse, shares how a slimy monster first came to this place along the Santa Fe Trail. Gertrude McCluck doesn't believe the tale, but that changes when she encounters the beast. Is this the end for the Chicken In Charge? Can Gertrude save the animals and solve the case before the frog full moon takes them all?
Excerpt:
"...The crickets were chirping like a rusty door hinge and there was an occasional "murrrp" from a frog in the pond. When the moon rose above the trees, Hermes cleared his throat. The crickets stopped chirping and an eery silence fell over Gerny Acres.
Hermes began, "My great-great-great-great granddad was coming across
the
--excerpt from Vol 3: The Yellow-Eyed Pond Monster
Vol. 4: A Midwinter Light's Dream
Gertrude McCluck is again on the case as the "Chicken In Charge" of the Gerny Acres farm. Less light in each day, white things falling from the sky, and everyone on the farm acting strangely...Can Gertrude sort it all out before it's too late? Gertrude's neighbor Jake Speare (Shakespeare) offers inspiration as Gertrude tries to understand what's happening.
Excerpt:
…The cold prairie wind was whipping through the prairie like two eggs in a mixer on high speed. Brrr! Where was that four-legged oats-eating machine? My beak started chattering and my shanks* were shaking. A horse, a horse, my acreage for a horse!
I finally found Hermes seeking shelter against some pine trees in the back of the pasture.
“Hello, Gertrude. What brings you way out here on such a cold and blustery day?” Hermes said.
“Hi, Herm-m-mes. W-w-well, I w-w-wanted to n-n-know if you’d n-n-noticed the days getting sh-sh-shorter,” I s-s-said.
“I’ve noticed that the amount of daylight is getting less each day,” Hermes said.
“Y-y-yes, that’s what I s-s-said, H-H-Hermes.”
“No you didn’t Gertrude. You said the days are getting shorter and that’s not really true. A day is always twenty-four hours no matter how much light or dark it has,” said Hermes.
“Baawk? Huh?” I said.
“It’s called,” he paused to make sure I was listening, “the winter solstice,” whinnied Hermes.
--excerpt from Vol. 4: A Midwinter Light's Dream
Vol. 5: Cleocatra and the Missing Chicken
A missing bantam chicken and fresh coyote tracks have everyone finding their "Beak Buddy" to stay safe. When a strange stray cat shows up does she become Gertrude's main suspect or the key to unlocking this mystery?
Excerpt:
"...This visitor is not our friend, Chick-a-dee." It was time to lay it on the line. "On patrol by the pond this morning I discovered - prepare yourselves - coyote tracks." Gasps swept the crowd like a prairie wind. Behind them the cat yawned and licked her paw.
"What makes you so sure they were coyote tracks?" Babs interrupted. "They could've been Skittles'. She's always at the pond barking at frogs."
Hens nodded their heads.
"I can back Gertrude up on this one," said Hermes. "The paw prints were longer and the claws more pointed. And they were fresh - one, maybe two days old."
The hens whispered. Their wattles wiggled back and forth.
I lifted my wings. "Don't be alarmed. We just need to be more careful until the farmer catches that coyote. No wandering after sunset and keep to the buddy system. We're stronger if we stay together. Everyone have their Beak Buddy?"
--excerpt from Vol. 5: Cleocatra and the Missing Chicken
Gertrude Sees…On the Farm
This non-fiction spin-off from the “Gertrude McCluck” series is geared to the emergent reader. Repetitive text and full color photographic illustrations guide the young reader through the many things Gertrude finds on her adventure. To encourage repeat readings, the book also includes "look and find", "same and different" and additional text for both adult and child to make reading a shared experience. 16 pages
-Cyndi-cyndi@gertrudemccluck.com