I really like the idea of having two separate books with covers that will make one complete scene when placed side-by-side. To me, that is just really fun! Other books in the series could help create one very long panoramic scene when stretched out side-by-side! How cool would that be?!?
The colors are a balance of bright and cheerful with dark and gloomy, but not too gloomy. They are all colors used in A Most Wondrous Place, and so I am expecting the printing to be very close to what you see on a screen without any unexpected irregularities like I have experienced so far.
The Sewer Rat, who is The Biggest Scary Thing for Gracie, is much more comical in color. He is still introduced in the interior illustrations as a black silhouette, but having him on the cover in color makes him less threatening. (We really don’t want anyone to have bad dreams because of the book cover.)
Oh! And did you see that the title for the series and the two book titles are all in the Chicken language? I think this adds an additional fun element to the books that was missing before. Secret language. Secret words. Those are both pluses in by opinion.
It is probably fair to say that this is the first series of books ever to have been given a title in the Chicken language and to be made of books which have titles in the Chicken language! I think this helps to make the series and the individual books much more friendly to children. It may even help to create a mysteriously secretive feel to the books.
PeeP! should be about 134 pages, and BwÖwK! should be close to 150 pages.
PeeP! sets the stage by introducing the main chicken characters and their friends. It also explains how the narrator learns the Chicken language and forms friendships with the chickens. It introduces two friendly characters, The Robin and The Wren, who help Gracie to step out of the shadows. It tells how Gracie faced The Big Scary Thing and The Bigger Scary Thing but is hoping there is no Biggest Scary Thing.
BwÖwK! has much more action because the characters are all established. It introduces two not-so-friendly characters, The Tuxedo Cat and The Sewer Rat, who force Gracie to finally confront The Biggest Scary Thing. With the help of one new friendly character, The Raven With Blue Eyes, Gracie learns that she really did have what she needed within her heart all along and that she truly is much more than good enough.