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Summary
Summary
Why did the chickens cross the road? To get to town, of course! When those four lily-livered chickens are accidentally dumped off the farmer's truck, they have no choice but to follow the feed trail through a day of crazy hijinks. What ensues is a raucous adventure through town, including foreign food, weird noises, and strange birds. Sidesplitting silliness abounds in this third riotously funny read-aloud by Leslie Helakoski, once again illustrated with Henry Cole's boisterous art.
Author Notes
Leslie Helakoski lives in Lawton, Michigan.
Henry Cole lives in Wilton Manors, Florida.
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Kids who have read Big Chickens (2005) and Big Chickens Fly the Coop (2008, both Dutton) will be familiar with the characteristics that make these birds immediately endearing: alternately impulsive and cautious, panicky and pleased, they're a lot like children testing their world. In this installment, the chickens find a bag of feed in the farmer's truck and are intent on pecking it open when the truck takes off. "What if we never get home again?" "What if we fall out of the truck?" "What if we can't get this bag open?" The foolish, fearsome, funny foursome lands in town, and this kind of worry-chorus is echoed in every new situation-when they cross the road; look for food in a cafe; hear their first jazz band; and run into a park full of pigeons. When the chickens stumble into a happy ending, young readers as well as these birds will feel that the world isn't such a big, bad place after all. This is a book that must be read aloud, and adults might want to do a little practicing beforehand. Helakoski's language is deliciously dense and tricky: "The chickens blabbered, gabbered, and gibber-jabbered. Shouting voices wobbled. Flighty locals bobbled. Running feet flumped. Startled bellies bumped." Children will love Cole's wacky illustrations. Chickens never had such huge nervous eyes, such flappy wings, or such cute outfits. The visual perspectives manage to make the birds look simultaneously large and small: a neat trick. Big Chickens Go to Town is more than a really funny book. Every page reminds readers, "That was scary, but we're okay."-Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Pecking at a bag of feed in the back of the farmer's truck, the four chickens take an unintended ride to town in this third outing. The chickens become increasingly discombobulated by the sights, sounds, and pace of city life ("Bustling waiters tripped. Sidewalk tables flipped. Chickens stewed. Napkins shooed"). Kids should delight in their wildly expressive antics and chicken's-eye view of the world. Ages 3-5. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
In their third outing, the big chickens get distracted by a feed bag and find themselves on a bumpy truck ride into the city. Surrounded by strange noises, strange food, and strange animals, the chickens wonder if they'll ever get home. The text's message about not fearing the unknown is subtly delivered, and the ebullient illustrations reflect the chickens' frantic personalities. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
In their latest uproarious adventure, four chickens see the world beyond their farm when they climb into the back of a pickup truck, and the farmer unexpectedly drives to town. The birds soon find themselves in a strange world of rushing traffic, honking horns, shouting voices, and lively jazz music from a sidewalk café. The silly, rhyming words ( The chickens blabbered, gabbered, and gibber-jabbered ) make this great for reading aloud, and Cole's bright ink-and-watercolor cartoon pictures extend the chaotic fun. Kids will feel superior to the naive chickens, even as they recognize the birds' anxiety about strange, new places.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2010 Booklist
