Chicken Talk: A Delightful Farm Story About Barnyard Surprise and Fun for Kids (Ages 4-8)

Chicken Talk: A Delightful Farm Story About Barnyard Surprise and Fun for Kids (Ages 4-8)

The chickens on the farm have a message for their farm owners! They’re tired of arugula salad, how about putting a fan in their hot coop, and HEY — watch out for that snake in your tent . As the children walk around their beloved farm, they discover more and more chicken talk scratched into the dirt. The family can hardly believe it. What will the chickens possibly say next!? With beautiful watercolor illustrations from New York Times bestseller Jarrett J. Krosoczka and heartwarming text by Newbery Medal-winning author Patricia MacLachlan, Chicken Talk is the perfect book to chuckle over, whether you live in the city or the country. Gather your family around for a delightful tale of surprise, chaos, and barnyard fun in Chicken Talk ! PreS-Gr 2-Farmer Otis, his wife, Abby, and their children, Willie and Belle, are surprised when their 12 chickens begin writing them messages. The family, extremely fond of their chickens, name them, feed them arugula, and let them roam free. Willie and Belle even allow them to peer into their books when they read outdoors. Then one day, messages start appearing: "No more arugula" and "More stories about brave chickens." The messages, sometimes containing reversals of the letter "e," seem to be written by the chickens. When one message rebukes Tripp, the mail carrier, for his fast driving, the disbelieving postal worker decides to camp out that night to discover the truth. The evening's events convince him of the chickens' authorship (though a remark by Willie might lead readers to think otherwise) and he spreads the word. Egg sales take off, and even more messages appear. The large watercolor illustrations, many of them spreads, contain a great deal of humor. The chickens are filled with personality, offering sideways glances, eye rolls, and perplexed or scolding expressions. In one amusing scene, three white hens sit on porch chairs "like elegant ladies." A chicken's-eye view shows a hen, Trixie, seeming to have a confrontation with Otis, only the farmer's boot and pants leg visible. VERDICT This story, suitable for group sharing, will engage readers and could lead to a hunt for clues about the true source of the messages.-Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. Praise for THE POET’S DOG: “Magical. A quiet, elegant, poignant story suffused with humor, heart, and goodness.” - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “A spare, moving tale. Using simple words that even youngest readers will understand and enjoy, MacLachlan tackles subjects such as death and mourning with understated grace.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Readers will find their own jewel in this gem of a book.” - Booklist (starred review) Praise for THE TRUTH OF ME: “Brief but emotionally intense...MacLachlan demonstrates her mastery of elegantly unfolding a tale and gently plucking at readers’ heartstrings without taking a maudlin tone.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review) Praise for KINDRED SOULS: “MacLachlan handles a familiar theme with grace, providing a lens into an uncanny intergenerational bond, as well as the kindness and generosity of love.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review) Praise for WORD AFTER WORD AFTER WORD: “Showing great respect for her readers and her craft, Newbery Award winner Patricia MacLachlan makes every word count in Lucy’s smooth-flowing, economic narrative.” - Booklist (starred review) “Artwork by Krosoczka ( Hey, Kiddo ) uses softly sketched lines and gentle farmyard hues to provide a sense of the farm’s peace and the chickens’ cleverness. MacLachlan ( My Father’s Words ) offers droll dialogue, a bucolic setting, and a spirited defense of animals as distinct beings with unacknowledged powers of observation.” - Publishers Weekly “In this slight but charming tale, a farm family’s chickens discover the power of the written word. But throughout all the excitement...it’s a feeling of family affection that shines through. MacLachlan’s text is sweet and gently humorous; Krosoczka’s expressive watercolors accentuate the personalities of the chickens.” - The Horn Book “Krosoczka’s expressive illustrations bring humor and tenderness to each character, human and chicken. MacLachlan’s latest models an attentive, loving, and respectful relationship between humans and their animal companions that even those without articulate pets will appreciate. A sweet, silly, and slightly surreal celebration of individuality and connection.” - Kirkus Reviews “Children will love suggesting names for the Joyces, as they speculate what the chickens will write next. The cartoonlike illustrations in india ink and brushes and created digitally fill the spreads with color and character, as each chicken and human strut across the pages.” - Booklist Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022) was the celebrated author of many timeless books for young reader