This is the story of a brave chicken on a big adventure.

Peggy lives in a small house in a quiet street.

One blustery day a big gust of wind sweeps down and scoops up leaves,twigs and . . . Peggy!

The wind blows Peggy into the city, where she discovers strange new things, but how will she find her way back home?

 

Have a look at some of the development of the story of 'Peggy' here.

 

A review from PERTH'S CHILD, PERTH

Veronicah's pick of the month

"Peggy is a chicken who leads a quiet sort of life. Not an unhappy life, just very calm and uneventful. One day, a stormy wind tosses Peggy high into the sky and carries her all the way to the big rainy city, where everything is unfamilia and a little confronting to a chicken more used to life in the suburbs. Peggy puts her best claw forward and takes a look around, before unsuccessfully trying to find her way back home. After this great adventure, Peggy now sometimes takes her brolly and catches the train to the city for a day's outing. The award-winning Anna Walker has created a gloriously simple tale of an ordinary chook who becomes just a little extraordinary by story's end. Walker's water ink and photo-collage artwork perfectly conveys a grey and drizzly city, contrasting with the light and familiarity of Peggy's suburban home. This is a story to inspire chickens everywhere to be brave and conquer their fears. Very highly recommended for ages 2 to 6 years."

 

A review from Read Plus,

by Fran Knight

(Ages 3+) Highly recommended. Picture book. Independence. Safety. The seemingly simple tale of Peggy the chook, finding her feet in the city will attract a willing audience in all places where books are read and enjoyed. Peggy lives in a small world; she wakes in her little house in a quiet street, eats breakfast, plays in the garden and watches the pigeons. But one day a gust of wind springs up and carries her away, landing her in a street in the city, far from home. In beautiful, understated ink and collage illustrations, the feeling of the little hem lost and alone in the busy streets, ignored by the bustling workers with their sea of umbrellas will win the hearts of the readers, watching as Peggy tries to find her way home. In her wanderings through the street, she sees things she has never seen before.But finding her way home is not easy. She follows someone with a bunch of sunflowers just like the ones in her garden, and sits on the train, before finding the pigeons she used o watch in her backyard.So all is well, but now she has friends and experiences outside her own home that she can recall, and sometimes even repeat.
This is a lovely story, full of adventure as Peggy finds new sights and sounds in the city, and unexpectedly finds friends. Her bravery and courage are to be admired as she boards the train, sits on someone's head, settles down for the night on a cushion in a shop window, and asks strangers for directions. Each of the things she does could initiate discussions with children at home or in the classroom, about being lost and keeping safe. But it could be well used for many discussions about bravery and courage, about trying something new, about adventure, about not being afraid of the unknown.
The illustrations with their nod to Tohby Riddle and John Brack, are wonderful. Each time I read the book, I see something new to think about and look at again, and children will too.

 

A review from Web Child,

by Kristy Diffey

I’ve come a long way since I first moved to the country. While I am still petrified at the idea of brown snakes, I adore my chickens. Not as much as my husband who is vehemently pro-chicken (I prefer ducks in all their waddly gorgeousness) but I do like to have them around. I love their eccentric personalities, their talkative clucking and strutting and scratching.
Anna Walker is clearly a woman who recognises this. Her new book is about a chicken called Peggy. Peggy lives in a nice semi-rural yard dotted with sunflowers and amuses herself by jumping on a trampoline and watching the pigeons – until one day a gust of wind blows her into the city. For Peggy this busy, windy place is an eye-opener as she samples what is on offer, but then she decides she misses home. She tries to ask for directions, but no-one understands her. So she decides to follow a person with a bunch of sunflowers. The sunflowers only take Peggy so far, but then she spies the pigeons and follows them home.
This is a charming book with a simple story and a pleasing quirkiness. Behind the story of Peggy’s unexpected trip to the city are concepts such as home and belonging and friendship. Peggy seems to be quite happy, but perhaps she’s lonely. Her quiet life is interrupted by an adventure that she embraces, and the book concludes with Peggy establishing friendships with the pigeons, and embarking on trips to the city. Peggy represents the ‘everyman’, or every chicken as the case may be, as she experiences fear, excitement, wonder, isolation and helplessness, and then shows her resilience
The story is told simply in short descriptive sentences, with a nice use of repetition. It is beautifully complemented by the illustrations, which make the most of Peggy’s inquisitive gaze and her surroundings. They express the wonderful humour of the story – and its absurdity. The use of watercolours and photos, and the story, remind me of the wonderful Singing Hat by Tohby Riddle. Rainy, monochromatic Melbourne looks wonderful with its tall buildings and sea of umbrellas and legs and splashes of colour.
There is much to love about Peggy. The story and pictures are sure to charm and make you giggle, and have you hoping that Peggy makes it home okay. It may even do the impossible: make a pigeon lovable.