The illustrations are the central part of this story of a chicken that spills a pot of blue paint. The chicken gets paint on the other barn animals and herself. At first glance, this seems to be a simple picture book, but it has a depth that makes it more useful and educational. Themes of making mistakes and apologizing are presented along with themes of reality versus artistry and imagination. This book can be used in different ways for children of various ages. The chicken expresses her sorrow at the mistake and tries to fix it. Older children will relate to making a mistake and needing to fix it. Younger children will not relate to being able to fix a problem themselves, like the chicken does. Words used in the story, like peevish and sincerely, are difficult for young readers, but offer an opportunity to expand the vocabulary of older kids. Younger readers can benefit from identifying the colors and farm animals. The perspectives in the artwork might be confusing for younger audiences. Older children can discuss how the painting relates to the other perspective of the book. This book would be appropriate for a preschool or day care library and grade school libraries.