California, here we come Faith's Pa says there's no room on awagon train for Josefina, a chicken who's too tough to eat and tooold to lay eggs. But Faith loves her pet. Can Josefina show Pa thatshe still has a few surprises left in her?

Grade 1-3 Faith is allowed to take her pet hen, Josefina, along in her family's covered wagon to California on one condition: ". . .if she makes any trouble, OUT SHE GOES!" Josefina survives some close calls with trouble, but when robbers raid the camp and Josefina squawks a warning, she earns Pa's praise and gratitude. Unfortunately, it's Josefina's last gasp. Faith mourns her but sews another patch for her memory quilt in honor of her hen. When the family reaches California, the quilt they sew tells the story of their journey. Children will appreciate Faith's bond with her pet and the details of an 1850 adventure. The story makes the history go down easily, and an author's note at the end fills in facts about the western trip and the place of quilts as pioneer diaries. The charcoal and blue/yellow wash illustrations are clear and natural, but little attention is paid to matching up quilt squares with the story's action. On the whole, a good introduction to historical fiction that children can read for themselves.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.