Learn to solve problems with ‘Can Hens Give Milk?’

“CAN HENS GIVE MILK?” by Joan Betty Stuchner and Joe Weissmann, Orca, May 1, 2011, $19.95 (ages 4-8)

Shlomo is a man of big ideas. He and his wife live on a farm with five children, 12 hens, a rooster and not much money. Shlomo and his family have plenty of eggs but no milk or cheese.

One night Shlomo has a dream, and it gives him a great idea. “If we feed grass to our hens, they will still lay eggs, but they will also give us milk,” he says. But the next morning when they try to feed the hens grass, they avoid it and only eat grain. Tova, the youngest daughter, suggests rolling it into pellets, like the hens are used to, but that doesn’t work, either.

The family tries dropping grass pellets into the hens’ beaks, but in the morning, they’ve neither laid eggs nor produced milk.

Tova turns to the wise rabbi of their village, who examines the hens one by one. Together, they realize that the hens have no udders, that they are not “milk hens.”

Seeing the family’s disappointment, the rabbi offers a solution, and the family learns you can get milk with hens.

“Can Hens Give Milk” is a charming story that not only exposes children to another culture but to animals as well. Problem-solving Tova is an excellent role model and her creative father is an excellent foil. Bright colors and lively illustrations bring the text to life as this lovable family dreams of milk and cheese.