The Little Red Hen
by Paul Galdone
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The little red hen finds none of her lazy friends willing to help her plant, harvest, or grind wheat into flour, but all are eager to eat the cake she makes from it.

Review
"This imaginative rendition will surely help sustain the popularity of this old favorite." --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

The Little Red Hen finds some grains of wheat on the ground, and asks for help in planting them. But her shiftless roommates, the dog, the cat, and the mouse, all refuse to help plant the wheat, water it, reap it, grind it, or bake a cake from the wheat. When the cake is ready to be eaten, they all want to help, but the hen eats the cake by herself. In the end, the lazy trio has learned to help with the household chores.

This is a nice simple story with a good rhythm and refrain (Not I! said the dog; Not I! said the cat; Not I! said the mouse) that should be very reassuring to a young child.

This book has endured through the years because it has all of the elements that make a great kid's book; it is entertaining and comforting, teaches children where food comes from, and contains a lesson about the value of a day's work.