CHICKENS ON THE LOOSE
By: Jane Kurtz
Illustrated by: John Joseph
Published: May 11, 2021
Publisher: West Margin Press
Fiction
People living in cities and small towns have started raising chickens. It isn’t allowed in our small town, but it is in a neighboring small town. I actually wish we could raise chickens in our backyard. Since urban chickens have become so popular, this book about chickens going on an adventure around town makes for a fun story for kids. It has just the right amount of silliness to bring out the giggles.
With an open gate, the chickens escape from the backyard and head out on the town to explore. Everyone yells for them to STOP but they just keep running. From the yoga studio to the food trucks to the pet store the chickens create quite a bit of chaos. Will they make it back home safe to rest and maybe lay some more eggs?
With rhyming scheme and onomatopoeias, this story makes for a fun read-aloud. I read it to my great-nephew and he loved yelling, “Stop!” when I encouraged him to join along on the pages. The illustrations fill the pages, show hilarious facial expressions on the people, and give kids plenty to look at on the pages.
The last page of the book shares some chicken facts and offers tips for raising your own urban chickens. The author has also shared some classroom resources and activity sheets on her website, HERE.
Check out the book trailer:
Jane Kurtz is an award-winning children’s book author, speaker, educator, and she is on the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Children’s and YA Literature. She is a co-founder of the nonprofit Ethiopia Reads, an organization that brings books and literacy to the children in Ethiopia, where Jane grew up. She also heads the creative team of Ready Set Go Books, a project of Open Hearts Big Dreams to create fun, colorful, local language books for people in Ethiopia. She is the author of many books for children, including River Friendly River Wild, winner of the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for picture book text, and What Do They Do With All That Poo?, a finalist to the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Excellence in Science Books list; it has also been named to several state reading lists, voted on by children. To learn more, visit her website, HERE.
John Joseph is an artist, illustrator, elementary school teacher, avid gardener, and community leader. He earned a degree in visual arts from Colorado State University and a Masters from Lesley University, and has won the ACP Excellence in Publishing Award for Best Picture Book. He lives in Colorado with his wife, two sons, and a German shepherd.
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Posted Under Book Review, chickens, Children's books, fiction, Jane Kurtz, John Joseph