Cock-a-doodle-doo! In case you hadn’t heard, 2017 is the Year of the Rooster according to Chinese astrology. If you felt like 2016 was one big monkey circus, you wouldn’t be wrong: the Year of the Monkey ruled the calendar for the past 365 days. Actually, the monkey is still in play since the official start of the Chinese New Year isn’t until Jan. 28, so let’s hope there won’t be too much monkeying around before the Rooster takes over.
To help usher in the reign of the Rooster, let’s celebrate with a trip to the library — and a bounty of rooster-related material. In order to get into the spirit of the following list, you’ll have to indulge my personal frame of reference regarding roosters. Don’t be surprised to run across the Duke, Foghorn Leghorn, and a feline while perusing the titles below. Sounding like a real cockamamie reading list? Well, trust me, it isn’t. Happy New Year to roosters and non-roosters alike!
• “Buddy: How a Rooster Made Me a Family Man,” by Brian McGrory.
What’s more heartwarming than a story about a man and a rooster? Well, I can think of a few, but this fowl tale is worth reading. At first Buddy’s disdain of Brian makes it hard to figure out who rules the roost — bird or man — but it works out in the end, and their complicated relationship offers plenty of life lessons for all.
• “Cock-a-Doodle Oops!” by Lori Degman.
You’ve heard what happens when the cat’s away – those mice will play. But care to take a gander at what happens when the rooster’s away? Turns out there’s just no substitute for a rooster’s wake-up call, but the other farm animals in this adorable picture book give it a good try when Farmer McPeeper needs to be roused out of bed.
