Bear and Chicken

September 18, 2017
Ho (If You’re Spooky and You Know It) creates delicious suspense in a story built around a familiar theme: a small creature worrying that it is about to be eaten. After finding Chicken frozen in the snow, Bear carries her into his cozy home and wonders, “How does one defrost a chicken?” He places Chicken in front of a blazing fire, “burrito-wrapped” in a blanket, which does the trick. But when Bear jovially informs Chicken that she has awakened “just in time,” the worried bird wonders, “In time for what?” As Bear boils water in a large pot, “Chicken simmered in suspicion,” imagining herself submerged in soup stock. These sprinklings of culinary jargon and easily misconstrued dialogue give the story its mischievous sense of humor: “Onions, chop. Carrots, chop. Celery, chop chop. ‘Hmmm... what else is missing?’ said Bear.” Ho’s matte artwork has a pleasing simplicity yet imbues both characters with plenty of personality. She closes with a brief note about black bears (a mostly vegetarian species) and a recipe for Bear’s vegetable soup. Ages 4–8. Agent: Mela Bolinao, MB Artists.

August 15, 2017
When Bear says he's having chicken for lunch, what exactly does he mean?One very cold day, as Bear is taking his morning walk, he sees a chicken frozen in the snow. As he carries the chicken to the warmth of his home, he wonders about the best way to defrost a chicken, then "burrito-wraps" it in a blanket in front of the roaring fire. This works, though Chicken, whose first sight upon awaking is sharp teeth, is immediately alarmed. But Bear is as friendly as can be. "Hello there," he says. "You're just in time." Chicken wonders, "In time for what?" Bear brings out a big pot, fills it with water, and sets it on the stove to boil. Bear is going to make Chicken into lunch! Chicken makes a clumsy run for it, out into the snow and zigzagging through the trees. Bear pursues, carrying Chicken's bindle and expressing his concern that Chicken is leaving without lunch--which is vegetable soup. Ho's simple, humorous story provides a gentle lesson on prejudice and friendship; her illustrations are bright and basic, and Bear's teeth are visible only in Chicken's imagination. Readers in vegetarian households or those unfamiliar with the cooking terminology used in the text may be several steps behind Chicken, but they will still probably find the tale a funny one. There's also a recipe for Bear's vegetable soup and an informational note about "mostly vegetarian" black bears. A sweet tale of expectations upended. (Picture book. 3-6)

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November 1, 2017

PreS-Gr 1-Two animals have a chance encounter and one starts to think about eating the other-or does he? Children will love it when they are kept in delicious suspense because they can't decide if one character is going to end up in the stew pot. Ho creates this tension in her latest picture book. It is wintertime, and Bear discovers Chicken in the snowy woods. To his dismay, the chicken appears to be frozen solid. He rushes the fowl into his house, where he proceeds to start a fire and make soup. However, when Chicken awakes from his frozen slumber, the details he notices are enough to send shivers down his spine-a sharp cleaver, a very large stew pot, a recipe that may or may not call for chicken, and a bear with sharp teeth when he smiles. Chicken's panicked flight and eventual confrontation with Bear finally clarify the situation; Bear was just making vegetable soup and hoping to make a new friend! Ho's bright, charming illustrations are reminiscent of the artwork in Little Golden Books as they suggest a sweetness and innocence in the characters. The story ends with a recipe for vegetable soup and a reminder that real black bears are largely vegetarians. VERDICT An enjoyable read-aloud for young elementary-aged children. Perfect for one-on-one or small group sharing.-Sally James, South Hillsborough Elementary School, CA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2017
Grades 1-3 The frozen chicken that Bear brings home from the snowy woods can certainly be excused for the mounting anxiety she expresses as she watches her toothy rescuer set about filling a large pot with water and chopping herbs and veggies. In both the narrative and simple cartoon illustrations, Ho goes to some lengths to shape the expectations of bird and audience alike: burrito-wrapped in a blanket, Chicken wakes before a fireplace that has a cookbook conspicuously placed on the mantel, later eyes a pot bubbling with suggestively yellow broth ( She simmered with suspicion ), and finally flees when her cleaver-wielding host invites her to come closer, because it's almost time for lunch. A brisk chase through the woods ensues, but when Bear catches up and proves to be carrying not the cleaver but Chicken's bindle, she realizes her mistake. Back to the cabin the new friends go to split a big pot of vegetable soup. A recipe for the same closes this cozy cousin of Eve Bunting's A Turkey for Thanksgiving (1991).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)