When a case of chicken measles steals the voice of the blue-headed rooster who used to crow all day long, his friend, a plain brown hen, brings musicians to remind him to sing and save him from becoming "quiet rooster stew."
Eleven-year-old aspiring writer Louisa considers traveling the world with her globetrotting parents, but friendship with George helps her to see her grandparents' farm on Deer Island in a new light.