Rather than just jumping right in with both feet and toes spread out to dig in and hold on, Pearl decided that we needed an introduction to ease people into reading something that might be completely new and definitely different for them.

Pearl was especially pleased that I included so many white chickens like her in these first illustrations along with Jesus. “There won’t be anybody who can’t tell what this book is going to be about,” said Pearl. “And those illustrations don’t look anything like the stuffy old pictures that grown-up people remember or like the silly new pictures that some people think children will enjoy because they are drawn showing big eyes and big smiles.”

After saying this, Pearl coughed with a loud, emphatic “Blechk!” Pearl obviously thought that children, like chickens, could handle grown-up illustrations and grown-up words. She was assuredly going to make sure that we didn’t “talk down” or “draw down” to anyone.

As the people gathered around Jesus to listen to his parables and teachings, their chickens joined them with their songbird friends. They sensed great wisdom in the words they heard. It was wisdom that needed to be preserved and shared for the rescue of all who needed to hear but couldn’t be there at that moment.

Sometimes, Jesus included chickens in his teachings and parables. He even compared his love for people to the love that a hen has for her baby chicks. Always, the chickens imagined that Jesus was talking to them and about them.