BOOKS: Interrupting Chicken

Congratulations to Ruth Ann Anthony for winning this week's book giveaway!  While this contest is now closed, please come back to SixSeeds for more giveaways for good, family, fun!

At SixSeeds, we believe in the power of a good story.  The books our children are hearing and reading will move, inspire, and sometimes even shape their lives... even young lives. This week, we take a popular kids' book and examine it. Hopefully, the next time you're browsing though a crowded bookstore, our reviews will help you sort through the thousands of titles…  and you can choose wisely.

Title: Interrupting Chicken

Author and Illustrator: David Ezra Stein 

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Cost: $16.99

Rating: 5 out of 6 seeds

Buy it: Here

David Stein has won a 2011 Caldecott medal for Interrupting Chicken, an affectionate tale between a father and daughter.

It’s bedtime, and Papa chicken and his little chick cuddle in bed with a collection of fairy tales. Hansel and Gretel have just begun their journey into the deep woods, when the villain appears saying, “What lovely children! Why don’t you come inside?” Hansel and Gretel are about to follow her, when a squeaky voice interrupts Papa’s reading to say, “Out jumped a little red chicken, and she said, ‘Don’t go in! She’s a witch!”

The interjected character prevents disaster and intervenes in a similar fashion with Little Red Riding Hood and Chicken Little. This spunky little girl manages to interrupt Papa at the opportune time in each story, before the characters ever experience any conflict. You can’t really argue with her logic -- why waste time developing the story, when she can cut to the chase, and write herself heroically into a new adaptation?

Not only has Stein humorously portrayed a child’s preoccupation with themselves, he has cleverly captured their quirky impatience, as well. Every parent knows the routine -- the words just can’t be contained anymore. They must come out.  Interrupting chicken is that kid, over and over again. 

The Bottom Line:

This one might just become a family favorite, and actually give you pause to laugh a little more readily at your own “interrupting chicken.” Plus, it’s a timely option to keep in mind with Father’s Day on the horizon. (The ending is quite cute as well.)

For Parents to Consider:

David Stein says, “I’ll never forget the experience of sitting in a beloved lap and having a whole world open before me: a world brought to life by the pictures and the grown-up’s voice. That wonder is what I want to re-create in my own books.”

Just as the daughter in this story cuts to the chase, parents are often tempted to forsake the wonder of a book (or at least shorten it!) to make sure that children really get the moral of the story. Sure, Little Red Riding Hood shouldn’t have talked to strangers, and Chicken Little should have chilled out, but without the struggle that preceded the character’s realization -- we would cease to have the tales that have been read by millions of people.

It’s interesting how the child’s version of each story was not only efficient, it managed to eliminate the heartache.  As a parent, it’s easy to avoid complicated stories and to fail to see the positives in the struggles that our own kids face.

To Talk to Your Kids About:

Do your kids know the original fairy tales? This is another one of those homages to Fairy Tales, but won’t give our children fair exposure. (See SixSeed’s article on What happened to Fairy Tales.) 

Maybe the Brothers Grimm will give you some interesting reading for the weekend!

We are giving this book away this week! Please leave a comment for a chance to win. We always love to hear from you.

On one week from publication at noon (EST), we'll pick a name in a random drawing from all eligible entries received and send you an email notification.  When you receive your package in the mail, you'll find out which book you received!

Limit one (1) entry per person; NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States and Washington D.C. who are 18 or older as of date of entry.