The Chicken Who Couldn't

August 1, 2020
A chicken who cannot discovers that, in fact, he can. On the way home from a fair, after failing to win a single ribbon, Chicken's cage is jolted out of the back of a pickup truck, leaving him to find his own way home to the farm. A comical cast of animals try to help. A bird suggests that he fly home; a frog, who consults a manual claiming that chickens can only fly short distances, is less helpful. When Chicken tries to hide in a hole, a bespectacled mole and enthusiastic turtle try to instill in him the confidence he needs to overcome his fears. By repeating "I am a STRONG and POWERFUL and NICE-LOOKING chicken," Chicken manages to intimidate a hungry fox, make it back home to the friendly farmer (a beige-skinned figure with overalls and hair in a braid), and even win more ribbons at next year's fair before the whole ordeal starts over again. The comically heavy-handed message of self-confidence is predictably executed, with Chicken serving as a chaotic antihero. Thomas' trademark goofy illustrations arranged in comic-style panels hold a great deal of energy, and the Looney Tunes-style humor will get a lot of laughs from young audiences. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-18-inch double-page spreads viewed at 18.5% of actual size.) Like popcorn chicken, this book's got a nugget of protein at its center. (Picture book. 3-7)

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August 31, 2020
Having received no ribbons at the fair, Chicken’s confidence has already taken a hit when his cage tumbles off the back of the truck carrying him back to the farm. Given heightened anxiety and a self-doubt hair trigger (now uncaged, he plummets to the ground the minute someone says, “I didn’t think chickens could fly!”), it’s unclear how he’ll manage the route home. But with the help of some animals who could easily develop side gigs as personal growth coaches, he develops a new mantra (“I am a STRONG and POWERFUL and NICE LOOKING chicken”—he insists on the “nice looking” part) and intimidates a hungry fox who wants to turn him into Southwest cuisine. Having discovered confidence, Chicken even begins a career as a prize winner. Thomas (My Friends Make Me Happy!), working in bright colors and comics-style panels, never misses a beat, whether it’s a sight gag (Chicken’s head gets stuck in a mole hole) or her cast’s rapport, which should prompt requests for repeat readings. The self-esteem topic may be familiar, but Thomas shows that it can still get excellent comic mileage. Ages 3–5. Agent: Marcia Wernick, Wernick & Pratt.

July 1, 2020
Heading home after an unrewarded trip (no blue ribbon) to the fair, Chicken suddenly finds himself jostled out of Farmer's truck bed and onto the side of the road. Chicken exclaims to no one in particular that he simply can't walk home to the farm, but a series of animals attempt to help him get there. Bird suggests taking flight, but Frog's quick research showing that chickens can't actually fly brings Chicken back down to earth. With walking as his only option, Chicken sets out along the road -- in the cartoony art, a brown and bumpy path against a lime-green background. A noise scares him into hiding in Mole's hole, where Turtle arrives to commiserate and provide Chicken with a new mantra: "I am a STRONG and POWERFUL and NICE-LOOKING chicken!" Emboldened by Turtle's encouragement, the chicken escapes the hole and then a close call with a hungry Fox. Full of giggle-inducing exclamations and well-timed page-turns, Thomas's comedy of errors unfolds entirely in dialogue. Bold-colored backgrounds help to signal moments of heightened alarm along Chicken's journey. Thomas's use of panels measures the delivery of each punch line, and her characters' boxy bodies and flailing limbs bring silliness to every encounter. Somewhere between snorts of laughter, readers might even catch a lesson in self-confidence -- Chicken certainly does.

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

November 1, 2020
Heading home after an unrewarded trip (no blue ribbon) to the fair, Chicken suddenly finds himself jostled out of Farmer's truck bed and onto the side of the road. Chicken exclaims to no one in particular that he simply can't walk home to the farm, but a series of animals attempt to help him get there. Bird suggests taking flight, but Frog's quick research showing that chickens can't actually fly brings Chicken back down to earth. With walking as his only option, Chicken sets out along the road -- in the cartoony art, a brown and bumpy path against a lime-green background. A noise scares him into hiding in Mole's hole, where Turtle arrives to commiserate and provide Chicken with a new mantra: "I am a STRONG and POWERFUL and NICE-LOOKING chicken!" Emboldened by Turtle's encouragement, the chicken escapes the hole and then a close call with a hungry Fox. Full of giggle-inducing exclamations and well-timed page-turns, Thomas's comedy of errors unfolds entirely in dialogue. Bold-colored backgrounds help to signal moments of heightened alarm along Chicken's journey. Thomas's use of panels measures the delivery of each punch line, and her characters' boxy bodies and flailing limbs bring silliness to every encounter. Somewhere between snorts of laughter, readers might even catch a lesson in self-confidence -- Chicken certainly does. Grace McKinney

(Copyright 2020 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)