Chickens here, chickens there -- chickens seem to be everywhere in picture books this season.

Here's a look at books starring some fun-loving fowls:

• Mrs. Farmer has taken out her big pot, and that can mean only one thing -- chicken soup! In "Chicken Soup" (Abrams, $16.95), author Jean Van Leeuwen details the frantic flight of the chickens, whose various hiding places keep being revealed by Little Chickie, who's got a bad cold and can't stop sneezing. When Mr. Farmer eventually catches Little Chickie, however, it turns out that Mrs. Farmer just wants to treat her cold with a large helping of soup -- vegetable soup. Van Leeuwen's comic story will keep young readers on the edge of their seats, waiting to see Little Chickie's fate. David Gavril's bright, streamlined illustrations help build the suspense until the happy ending. (Ages 3-6.)

• Author-illustrator Sara Varon first introduced her fowl/feline duo in "Chicken and Cat" in 2006, showing how country-loving Cat finally feels at home with city-dwelling Chicken when the two create a garden in an empty corner lot. Now, in "Chicken and Cat Clean Up" (Scholastic, $16.99), Chicken attempts to include Cat in his housekeeping business. But it's a disaster: Cat is clumsy and a daydreamer and just ends up making a mess. Fortunately, Cat has other talents, which he demonstrates when he catches a mouse who has stolen a woman's purse. Varon also is a graphic novelist (check out her "Robot Dreams" graphic novel for kids) and it shows in her illustrations, which use a clean line and smooth colors to add panache to the simple story of this wordless picture book. (Ages 4-7.)

• One of Mother Hen's seven chicks is missing. Mother Hen calls on Mrs. Duck and other neighbors to help her search, but the little chick is nowhere to be found. The police arrive -- complete with a helicopter -- and so do the firefighters, but the little chick remains missing. In "The Missing Chick" (Candlewick Press, $15.99), author-illustrator Valeri Gorbachev tells how the little chick is eventually uncovered in the most obvious place of all. Gorbachev's story is delightfully zany (Mrs. Duck is a particular gem of a character), while his watercolor-and-ink illustrations further broaden the humor. Young readers will love the comic ending. (Ages 3-6.)

• When we last saw Marjorie the cow, she had just become a mother by laying an egg (with some secret help from the hens). Marjorie doesn't realize that her baby Daisy actually is a chicken; after all, the baby's first word was "moo." Now, in "The Cow That Was the Best Moo-ther" (HarperCollins, $17.99), Marjorie is determined that her baby will win the farmyard's beautiful-baby contest. The other cows snicker at Marjorie's seeming ignorance about her offspring, but, as author Andy Cutbill shows, Marjorie has the last word. Cutbill's wacky tale is perfectly matched by the madcap collage illustrations by Russell Ayto. (Ages 3-6.)

• Both a writing manual and a comic tale, "The Plot Chickens" (Holiday House, $16.95) tells the story of Henrietta, a chicken who wants to become a published author. Created by the husband-and-wife team of Mary Jane and Herm Auch, "The Plot Chickens" brims with silliness. Kids will enjoy the goofy story on one level, while adults -- especially those who know something about children's literature -- will enjoy some of the details (such as the critical review of Henrietta's book in "The Corn Book," an obvious riff on "The Horn Book," one of the top children's literature review journals). The Auchs' art, in which they merged oil paintings with digital techniques, is over the top but meshes well with the story's humor. (Ages 4-7.)

• Two new books focus on one part of a chicken's anatomy -- specifically the "back end." Many parents may disdain the low level of humor, but these books are guaranteed to please kids, who will inevitably collapse in laughter and then repeat parts of the text.

In "Chicken Butt" (Abrams, $12.95), author Erica Perl focuses on a boy who uses silly rhymes ("You know what? Chicken butt!") to try to gain his distracted father's attention. Henry Cole's illustrations, which include a drama-queen chicken, heighten the book's comedy. Perl's ending will leave kids howling with laughter. (Ages 4-7.)

Author/actor/comedian Michael Ian Black casts a wider net, as he celebrates the rear ends of a number of animals in "Chicken Cheeks" (Simon & Schuster, $15.99). Black writes of "duck tail" and "moose caboose" as he shows the animals climbing on top of each other to reach honey in a hive atop a tree. Kevin Hawkes' colorfully expressive illustrations wonderfully capture the craziness of Black's text. (Ages 3-6.)