Book Buddies: Roger Takes a Chance

Longing for independence and adventure brings Roger the chick more than he bargained for in a Book Buddies episode offering plenty of charm.

Roger the chick almost never gets the chance to do things on his own—he’s always attached by Velcro to his mother, Olive the hen, who prefers a quiet nap to any excitement. The two Book Buddies even come as a pair when they’re borrowed from the library, so Roger doesn’t go on many solo adventures. One day, a boy named Liam is persuaded by his little sister to borrow Roger and Olive before picking up Grandpa from the airport. While Liam is preoccupied with showing Grandpa how grown-up he is, however, Roger the chick wriggles free, only to be accidentally left behind. Could this be the chance that Roger’s been waiting for, or will his airport adventure—complete with a too-playful dog and a looming top of the escalator—prove too exciting even for him? If Liam admits his mistake, will he have a chance to show how grown-up he is—and help Roger get back from the Lost and Found?

Cynthia Lord is the author of award-winning middle-grade fiction titles such as the Newbery Honor Book Rules, Touch Blue, Half a Chance, A Handful of Stars, and Because of the Rabbit. She is also the author of the Hot Rod Hamster picture book and early reader series as well as the Shelter Pet Squad chapter book series. Cynthia Lord lives in Maine.

Stephanie Graegin is the author-illustrator of Little Fox in the Forest and the illustrator of many other picture books, including You Were the First by Patricia MacLachlan and Water in the Park by Emily Jenkins. Stephanie Graegin lives in Brooklyn.