Interrupting Chicken

Interrupting Chicken. David Ezra Stein. 2010. [August 2010] Candlewick Press. 40 pages. 

It was bedtime for the little red chicken.
"Okay, my little chicken," said Papa. "Are you all ready to go to sleep?"
"Yes, Papa! But you forgot something."
"What's that?" asked Papa.
"A bedtime story!"

I loved this one. I just LOVED this one. It's funny. It's sweet. It's just right in all the right ways. Papa is happy to read a story--or two or three--to his little chicken. But. He does wish she wouldn't interrupt him while he reads. What kind of interruptions are we talking about? Well, Little Chicken just *has* to warn Hansel and Gretel that the old woman with a candy house is a witch. And then there's the warning to Little Red Riding Hood about talking to strangers. And, of course, the warning to Chicken Little telling him NOT to panic--it was just an acorn. With each abbreviated fairy story, Little Chicken is failing to get even a little sleepy. Will Papa ever get his little one to bed? Then they get an idea! What if Little Chicken were to tell a story to Papa?! Would that make her sleepy?!

As I said, I LOVED this one. I liked the fairy tale theme. I liked the storytelling theme. It was a clever book that is beautifully illustrated.

© 2011 Becky Laney of Young Readers