I am SO not scared!
Chicken Little is NOT afraid of anything, not even a wolf. No matter how big or bad he is.
In fact, she's never even seen a wolf.
So when a real wolf shows up and ruffles her feathers, what's a fretful fowl to do: Join the frenzied flock and fly the coop? Or find out if this newcomer is as bad as his reputation?
The plucky star of Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale goes toe-to-toe with literature's most famous villain in this brilliant comedy spun with sly wisdom.---from the publisher
40 pages 978-1338359008 Ages 4-8
Keywords: fears, chickens, wolves, retellings, fun, humor, 4 year old, 5 year old, 6 year old, 7 year old, 8 year old, folktales
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What do you get when you combine a character known for panicking and a character that instills fear in others? A bunch of secondary characters running around like, well...chickens. "I am SO not scared of any wolf," Chicken Little declares on the title page and then proceeds to explain that it doesn't matter because there are no one but chickens around. "Wham!" A wolf out for a jog crashes into Chicken Little and sets off a flurry of activity when the news reaches the barnyard. Wolf didn't eat Chicken Little, but does that prove anything?
Plenty of clichés are worked into the story and used to great comic effect. The chickens argue over what to do and break into "Team Fight" and "Team Flight" as they debate their options. Chicken Little channels Nancy Sinatra declaring, "These boots aren't made for running!" When everyone decides their best option is "to fly the coop," they all don aviator goggles and caps. (They do look very charming.) And one chicken even blurts out that the wolf "will huff and puff and blow our coop down!" Readers will be curious to see how the story ends.
This is a great read for classes studying folktales or fractured fairy tales. It is also a good story to start a discussion about judging people on appearances or preconceived notions. The dedication "For anyone who's had to look for a place to belong and for all the flocks that welcomed them in" offers a clue to the books' theme of welcome and inclusion. Fans who enjoyed Wedelich's Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale will be delighted at this second book, and new readers will want to search out the first book as soon as they finish this one.
Recommended by: Suzanne Costner, Librarian, Tennessee USA
See more of her reviews: https://fveslibrary.blogspot.com/
