Barn Party!

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Every animal in the farmyard is looking forward to the Chicken Sisters' party. They've put Cockerel in charge of invitations. As he goes around the farmyard Cockerel thinks that Duck is too wet, Cow is too slobbery, Dog is too flea-ridden and Pig is too muddy. Sorry but you're not invited, we're having a neat party for tidy animals, says Cockerel in a snooty voice. Cockerel goes home, has a bubble bath, polishes his beak and combs his feathers. He's very happy when he looks in the mirror, but the Chicken sisters are not happy when they find out what he's done. They carefully work out a plan to teach him and lesson - and the plan works out very neatly indeed

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Booklist Review

Gr. 1-3. An arrogant rooster gets his comeuppance in this British import about barnyard society. Rooster agrees to post the chickens' party notice, but he crosses out the all welcome and adds by invitation only. It's a party for clean, neat animals, he tells himself, and he snootily informs each barnyard character why it isn't invited: duck is too drippy, pig is too muddy, and so on. Luckily, the animals learn of Rooster's social treachery and treat him to liberal doses of free-flying muck before decamping to their own party, to which they graciously invite contrite Rooster. Divided smoothly into short chapters, O'Brien's even, clear text tells an entertaining story about accepting differences that is both lively and basic enough for emerging readers. Archbold's scribbly watercolor-and-ink drawings, reminiscent of James Stevenson's work, further extend the strong characters in comical scenes of pompous Rooster and the joyful, messy party, where everyone accepts each other's differences and learns to get along. Another strong I Am Reading title. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2005 Booklist