Chicken Little

April 27, 2020
Whimsy reigns in Wedelich’s debut picture book, a reimagining of the classic doomsday story. Punchy speech balloons and spare, loosely lined digital cartoons imbue the title character with abundant personality and humorous mood swings. Sporting oversize red specs and diminutive red boots, the confident chick insists that she is “not little! I am petite!... and I’m not afraid of anything!” She’s rattled after an unidentified object drops from above (“Bonk!”) but insists that there must be a reasonable explanation: “It’s not like the sky is falling.... That’s ridiculous! Or is it?” The curious chicken climbs a ladder to have a candid conversation with the sky—represented by quirky facial features suspended in the air—which insists that it is not falling (“No. Honestly, I’m fine”). But an inevitable misunderstanding ensues, with Chicken Little proclaiming it “clucky chaos! Utter hen-demonium!” before calming the frantic flock, which shifts its attention to bandaging her “bonk.” Sprawling across vertical matte pages dominated by teal and ochre hues, Wedelich’s hand-lettered text mimics her story’s high energy, while the hens’ wry asides (“We’re free-range!”) amplify the comedy. A spry readaloud that will entertain adults and listeners in equal measure. Ages 4–8.

March 15, 2020
A chicken investigates whether or not the sky is falling. The bespectacled fowl protagonist immediately yells out to readers that she "is NOT little!" via an ocher speech balloon. " 'Little' implies young and small," she goes on, asserting that "babies are easily scared and I'm not afraid of anything!" But when an unidentified projectile bonks her on the head, she panics, soon jumping to the conclusion that the sky is falling. Word spreads of her investigation (the sky itself trying to convince her otherwise), and soon it's "utter hen-demonium." Persuaded by the sky, the chicken calms down her comrades with an impassioned appeal to reason and sympathy (how optimistic), and she is soon clucked over, bandaged, and back to yelling that she's "FINE!" Energetic, expressive digital illustrations look like loose pen-and-ink drawings. Little has white feathers and a red comb, and she wears cunning red boots; some of her compatriots (many of whom are brown or black) are similarly shod. Her histrionics will be familiar to children and people who know children, and her probing exchange with the anthropomorphized sky is inventive, but this is an otherwise straightforward retelling of the classic tale. The penultimate scene, in which the little chicken receives medical treatment for her wound, is lackluster and anticlimactic. The bluster and squawkings will be fun for an energetic read-aloud, though, the calm narration pairing comically with colorful dialogue. Adds little depth to the original but is enjoyable nonetheless. (Picture book. 4-7)

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May 1, 2020
Grades 1-3 Sure, something clocks Chicken Little?in her minimally detailed cartoon illustrations, Wedelich sends it bouncing away unseen until the final page?and sure, her first, momentary reaction is panic. But it's a passing chicken, seeing her up a ladder making sure that the sky is still in place, who carries the rumor of imminent catastrophe to the farmyard and causes utter hen-demonium. Neither appeals to reason nor the offer of a safe house with a roof ( We're free-range! ) settles the frantic flock. How can Chicken Little calm all those ruffled feathers? Dropping the patterned wordplay common to more traditional versions (along with the multispecies cast) and leaving Foxy Loxy just an offstage threat, the whole episode takes on a kinder, gentler slant, as no sooner does Chicken Little loudly explain that she was bonked than the maternal instincts of her audience are aroused. The original makes better telling, but this chicken, stylish in her red cowboy boots and huge eyeglasses, is worthy of admiration for her ability to pullet together in the wake of a sudden mishap.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)