Chicken Big by Keith Graves
A fractured version of the classic Chicken Little story, this book is big on chickens and big on humor too. A huge chick is born on a tiny farm in an itty-bitty coop. When the chick hatches, the chickens try to figure out what in the world it is. It’s big, even enormous, so it must be an elephant! That theory only lasts until an acorn falls on the head of one of the chickens and the big chick eats it up rather than running in fear. If it eats acorns, then it must be a squirrel! When rain starts to fall and the chickens panic again, the big chick lets them shelter under his wings. Well, if he keeps them dry in the rain, he must be an umbrella! Their theories get more and more outrageous as the book continues. It culminates with a showdown with a sneaky fox that finally convinces the foolish chickens what the big chick actually is.
Graves writes with such great comedic timing and wonderful surprises that children will be in stitches listening to it. The very silly chickens are a treat to read aloud, because they are so very idiotic. The smallest chicken is the really funny one, who offers the various guesses as to the chick’s identity. Always with a stout and definitive declaration.
Graves’ illustrations add to the hilarity. He uses a mix of frames and full page illustrations. The combination is dynamic and modern. Often the chickens and the big chick speak in speech bubbles, lending asides that are very clever and funny. This is a book that has a feeling of mischief and mayhem about it. It reads wonderfully aloud and will be sure to capture attention that may be wandering in story time. It’s a perfect final story time book to get them hooked again.
A hilarious take on a classic, this book is perfectly designed and vibrantly original. Appropriate for ages 5-10.
Reviewed from copy received from Chronicle Books.
Also reviewed by:
Waking Brain Cells 