– Sequel To The Caldecott Honor Book –
Description
It’s homework time for the little red chicken, who has just learned about something every good story should have: an elephant of surprise. Or could it be an element of surprise (as her amused papa explains)? As they dive in to story after story, looking for the part that makes a reader say “Whoa! I didn’t know that was going to happen,” Papa is sure he can convince Chicken he’s right. After all, there are definitely no elephants in “The Ugly Duckling,” “Rapunzel,” or “The Little Mermaid” — or are there? Elephant or element, something unexpected awaits Papa in every story, but a surprise may be in store for the little red chicken as well. Full of the same boisterous charm that made Interrupting Chicken so beloved by readers, this gleeful follow-up is sure to delight fans of stories, surprises, and elephants alike.
Details
- Author/Illustrator: David Ezra Stein
- Publisher: Candlewick Press (September 11, 2018)
- Genre: Picture Book
- Hardcover: 40 pages
- Word Count: Approx 649
My Thoughts
If you haven’t read Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein, you might want to get to know the characters in that popular Caldecott Honor book before reading this. Though it isn’t necessary to do that, Whether you’ve read the first book or not, you will quickly gather that the little red chicken and Papa are reading buddies.
In the sequel, Chicken is excited to share what she learned at school.
. . . today my teacher told us every story has an elephant of surprise. So let’s read a story, and we’ll find the elephant.
Papa explains that the teacher was talking about the element of surprise, not elephant. Papa explains what the element is.
It’s the part of the story that makes you say, ‘Whoa! I didn’t know that was going to happen,” said Papa.
But little chicken is still confused. She is sure when she comes to the elephant she will be excited and say, “Whoa!”
So, like the earlier Interrupting Chicken book, Papa begins to read the storybook. But somehow Chicken finds a way to insert an elephant into The Ugly Duckling, Rapunzel, and The Little Mermaid.
Eventually, Papa decides to tell his own story, with no elephants.
Okay, Papa! And I’ll draw the pictures.
I’ll leave the end of this fun book to your imagination.
What Concerned Me
I really had no concerns at all.
What I Liked Most
There are several reasons that I really like this series:
- I like parent and child reading together.
- I like the opportunity to reacquaint children with fairy tales.
- I’m always happy to see picture books that can be used in teaching and promoting writing and literature.
- The illustrations are bright and child-friendly, especially the ones with the blue elephant.
Teacher Helps
About The Author
David Ezra Stein is the author-illustrator of many picture books, including Interrupting Chicken, which was awarded a Caldecott Honor, I’m My Own Dog, Ice Boy, and Dinosaur Kisses. He lives with his family in Kew Gardens, New York.
