Interrupting Chicken

I teach Spanish in an elementary school, and what I want to know is how is Interrupting Chicken not a staple in every elementary-class library like The Snowy Day, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Rainbow Fish? Like Chicken, excitable primary-school children can’t help but blurt out! And this book would be such a great lesson!

Interrupting Chicken was a 2011 Caldecott Honor book, true enough, and David Ezra Stein’s illustrations deserved to win. They range from classic for the fairytale book to whimsical for the main story to comically child-like for Chicken’s own story. But Stein’s words are hilarious enough so that adults don’t need to find a child to read to in order to justify checking out his book. I couldn’t stop show more laughing! show less

It's easy to see why this is a Caldecotte honor book. It's humorous, fun, and completely unique. The story includes excerpts from three classics. Children are thrilled to see stories they're so familiar with mentioned. The illustrations are amazing. The story is humorous. Well done Stein! We love this one!

It's time for a story before bed, but interrupting chicken cannot help but get a word in edgewise with every story Papa tells. She wants to warn Hansel and Gretel about the candy house in the wood, tell Chicken Little not to worry about the sky falling, and so forth. Papa finally gives up and asks her to tell the story. She starts to, and Papa promptly falls asleep.

I really loved the concept of this book. It's fast-paced and witty, relying heavily on the dialogue between Papa and his daughter. It's like a comedy duo routine in which Papa is the straight man who sets up the joke by asking his daughter if she's going to interrupt the story or not; she always says no but then can't help herself once the story starts.

It's a very cleverly show more done story with great illustrations to boot, but I'm not sure if this one of those books that ends up being funnier to the adults in the audience (who can likely related with the exhausted Papa). Nevertheless, my niece wanted me to read this book to her over and over again so I guess it's popular enough with the little ones! show less

There are so many fun lessons in this book. This would be great fun as a read-aloud, done in a completely hammed up fashion. I can imagine taking deep breaths to build suspense for the interrupting chicken's words. I suppose one could use the book to talk about when it's appropriate to interrupt someone. I think it could be more fun as a discussion of empathy and the fact that the chicken is so worried about the characters. It could even be used to talk about how much danger the characters are in, and whether it would be appropriate to approach and warn the characters in the different situations. The vivid crayon and watercolor renditions of the chickens are playful and inviting. The more serious pen drawings of the "classics" are a show more great contrast, and when the two styles are juxtaposed as the chicken interrupts, it's pure fun. I could imagine reading aloud to pre-K and early elementary students. It could also be used as a reader for 2nd or 3rd graders, "sneaking in" expanded vocabulary into the folk tale pages while the rest of the story is light enough to seem like pure fun. show less

"It was bedtime for the little red chicken." Of course, bedtime requires a bedtime story...but the little chicken just can't resist jumping into the stories and interrupting! Finally, Papa tells her he's all out of stories - so little chicken will have to make up her own!
This is a fun, funny story. The sections of classic fairy tales which little chicken interrupts are drawn in what looks like a parody of Galdone's classic versions and little chicken's wild and unexpected interruptions will bring down the house every time you pull this out at storytime. A fun concept, beautifully executed throughout this unique bedtime story.

Verdict: Highly recommended. Use it to introduce children to classic fairy tales, as an anti-bedtime story, to show more encourage them to make up their own stories, and just for fun! show less

I loved this book! The different styles of art between when little red chicken interrupts her Papa's reading. It really creates a definite line so you can see where the story changes from the actual book to chicken's version. Little chicken is very endearing and makes me miss reading with my little brothers.

Fun book with warm and colorful illustrations. Papa chicken is putting little red chicken to bed and reading her bedtime stories, only she keeps interrupting and changes the ending of the stories. She begs for another story after another and finally, exhausted Papa has her make her own story and read it to him which puts him to sleep. The end! Very fun and is great for younger readers.