In The Trouble With Chickens, the ransom notes are a motif that supports the theme of Approaches to Problem-Solving. By finding and reading the notes, J.J. has an opportunity to use different problem-solving skills he learned from his days as a search-and-rescue dog. This allows the author to deepen her characterization of J.J. as an intelligent and multi-talented hero and adds detail to this theme.

For instance, J.J.’s first interest in the note is to analyze its exact wording, which demonstrates his articulateness and formal nature. This leads him to make the inference that an indoor pet wrote the note, deepening his suspicion of Vince the Funnel, an inside dog. He thinks, “Two things were clear: Whoever had left that note had fast feet and a head full of big words” (22). Secondly, J.J. wants to pick up on the note’s scent: “I didn’t want to hold her precious note, anyway. I wanted to sniff it. Sure enough, it reeked of one thing - the same chicken scent I had been following before the storm. The trail was right under my nose” (25). By figuring out the clues provided by the ransom notes, J.