Herding Chickens: Marley: Not A Peep! by John Grogan and Susan Hill

"Marley, we're home!" Cassie said.

"We hatched chicks at school and I got to bring them home for the weekend!"

Cassie has hit the primary school jackpot. She has been chosen by her teacher as the responsible student designated to take care of the chicks over the weekend.

Cassie's teacher has taught her the drill, too. Carefully, she fills the chick's water dispenser inside their roomy cage and loads the feeder with chick food. So far, so good. Everything is shipshape, and the chicks are eating and peeping happily.

But then Cassie and her mom make their mistake. They set off for weekend activities, blithely leaving Marley behind with the supposedly secure chicks.

"I have a playdate," Cassie said. "You're in charge while I'm gone."

Marley looked at the chicks. He looked at Cassie. "WOOF!" he said.

But nobody looked at the latch on the cage.

Marley soon is curled up for a nap in the living room, but his lovely long snooze is abruptly interrupted.

"CHEEP!!"

A single black chick seems to have escaped. Then, suddenly, the room is filled with chicks, cheeping, hopping, pecking, even climbing all over Marley.

At first this impromptu playdate is exciting. Marley enjoys being the chicks' playground as they hop all over him and explore the furniture. But eventually the pup remembers Cassie's words. These chicks aren't supposed to be wandering all over the house, are they?

Marley knows this can't be good. He tries to herd the chicks back into their cage before Cassie comes back. He knows that somehow, he will be the one who gets the blame for the breakout. But the latch seems to be broken, and as soon as he gets one inside, the peeper pops right back out. Then he hears the car drive up to the house.

It looks like everyone's favorite golden Lab malefactor is caught red-pawed in the midst of mischief again, in Marley: Not a Peep! (I Can Read Book 2) (Harper, 2012), the latest in Harper's venerable I-Can-Read series. Pair this one with Marley: The Dog Who Cried Woof[ MARLEY: THE DOG WHO CRIED WOOF ] by Grogan, John (Author) Oct-11-11[ Paperback ] for a double-dog duo of easy readers.