Book Review: Chicken Little

Chicken Little By Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley. Illus. the authors.

2009.32 pg. Roaring Brook/Neal Porter, $16.95 (9781596434646)

Format: Hardcover

Age Group:PreS-K

Genre: Fiction 

Awards: Booklist Editors' Choice: Media, 2011

Subjects/Themes: Folklore, Chickens, Animals

Early Literacy Skills Promoted: Print motivation, phonological awareness, print awareness,

 

Annotation: 

A retelling of Chicken Little. An acorn falls upon Chicken Little's head and she claims the sky is falling. Mass panic ensues.

Reactions/Observations:

Rebecca and Ed Emberley retell the tale of Chicken Little in a more modern but equally entertaining way. Like in the classic, Chicken Little, who is not to clever, mistakes an acorn falling on her head as a piece of the falling sky. She encounters different animals on her panicked retreat, recruiting other panicked animals on the way. Finally they meet a Wolf who promises to keep them “safe”. Little do they know, they’ve been tricked into hiding in the darkness of his tummy! A pitter patter of feet and a great big sneeze change the classic ending to this yarn.

The Emberleys weave an amusing retelling of the classic folktale, Chicken Little. Their illustrations are constructed of collaged textured paper in bright colors which creates a more modern feel to the story. Although based on the original, the new artwork and added bits redefine this story so that it’s entirely new. The revised ending also provides a fresh and friendlier ending especially for the younger audience.