The Chicken of the Family

Henrietta's older sisters convince her that she is a chicken, so she runs away to join her real family. The trick backfires on her sisters when Henrietta decides she likes being a chicken - the other chickens are nicer to her than her sisters! A great choice for any younger siblings.

An incredible read-aloud story. I have read this book to children and adults alike and the results are always to same - pure, unadulterated captivation. The story follows a young girl whose older sisters convince her she is a chicken. Suddenly in the middle of an eggs-istential crisis, poor little Henrietta decides to embrace her new life and go live with a flock of chickens down on Barney's farm. The story explores complex themes of bullying, self acceptance, and health self image in a very clever, charming way. This is probably my favorite book of all time.

It is the sacred duty of the eldest child to deviously taunt the youngest sibling. If one can do so with the aid of middle siblings, all the better. It is equally the duty of the youngest sibling to both believe the most gullible lies delivered by the oldest sibling and find an equally clever, but innocent, way to get their revenge.

And so we have The Chicken of the Family.

Henrietta is woken from her sleep and told by her oldest sister Kim that she isn't really a member of the family, she is a chicken, acquired from the farm down the road. Middle sister Claire's job is to go along with the joke, the support of two people saying the same thing giving the statement the weight of truth. Henrietta doesn't believe it's true until she wakes up show more in the morning and finds an egg in her bed and a couple of feathers on the floor.

Certain now that she is truly a chicken she runs away, down the road to the farm where she takes her rightful place in the chicken yard. Henrietta has no qualms adjusting to her new life as a chicken, scratching and taking a dust bath and playing follow the leader.

Kim and Claire arrive with a directive from their parents to admit their prank and bring Henrietta home. The only problem is that Henrietta is enjoying herself too much, feels she really is a chicken, and refuses to follow. Exasperated, Kim decides to call for back-up from her parents but Claire has decided to stay -- she's broken away from her sister's scheme after seeing what fun it is to be a chicken. Henrietta and Claire do trundle on home just in time to see their older sister getting chewed out for causing this fiasco.

"Sometimes it's good to be a chicken."

Indeed, sometimes embracing your gullibility is no different than embracing what makes you unique. Accepting what her sisters have told her, Henrietta is free to discover what it means to be different. She knows she's not a chicken on some level, just as she doesn't run away to get her sister in trouble, but along the way she's learned something about herself, about another culture (if you will), and about the things others will do to control you.

Yes, this is a deeper reading that a light and fluffy picture book deserves, but it's true: sometimes it is good to be a chicken. show less

Summary: Two older sisters convince the youngest sister that she is really a chicken. They put feathers in her bed and make it look like she has laid an egg. Henrietta accepts the fact that she is a chicken and goes to the chicken farm to be with her "real family". Middle sister ends up joining her, after getting in trouble with mom, the two realize that being chickens is not so bad.

Critique: This was a cute book, I like the lesson that it taught. Sometimes being the odd one out is actually better than trying to fit in.

Prompts: Do you think Henrietta is really a chicken? How do you think that egg got there? Will the chickens like her?

Craft ideas: This book could be used for a reading lesson, it would be good for adding character traits show more when reading. show less

Growing up as an only child, I never got to witness the torturous acts of siblings but I have heard many stories. Henrietta's sisters convinced her she was a chicken. She shows them how fun being a chicken could actually be and their teasing gets turned around on them.

This story is about the youngest sister of three being teased by her two older sisters into thinking she is a chicken. The entire page is filled with different conversations and the illustrator uses multiple cartoons like drawings to portray the dialogue amongst the sisters. After reading this book, there is a lesson to be learned; it isn’t kind to tease others. But one downside of this book is the author uses the word “dumbhead” and that might not sit well with parents. Mary Amato was born and raised in Illinois. She is not only an award winning children’s author but also in poetry, playwriting and songwriting. Delphine Durand is a published author and illustrator.

Story about sisters playing jokes on each other. Two sisters try to convince their baby sister that she is a chicken. Great book for asking questions and making prediction. Good kid humor.. Pierce County Library. Kindergarten through 2nd grade