Friday, November 7, 2008

Chickerella - Book Review


Chickerella
Author and Illustrator: Mary Jane and Herm Auch
Reading level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Holiday House (March 15, 2006)
ISBN-10: 0823420159
ISBN-13: 978-0823420155

The timeless story of Cinderella is parodied into a hilarious “chick-lit.” “Chickerella had a wonderful chickhood until one night when a fox got into the coop and carried off her mother. Chickerella’s father, now a single rooster, did his best to raise her, providing her with a happy and stable cooplife.”

A few years later, Chickerella’s stepmother and stepsisters, Ovumelda and Cholestera, show up. As the reader would expect, it is not long before Chickerella is a servant in her own coop and banished from the main coop to live in the springhouse. Every day was the same for Chickerella. Work, work, work. Her sparse diet of bugs and spring water began to affect her eggs. Soon she was laying eggs of pure glass.

The clever dialogue is predictable at times with words like “eggscited”, “eggstravaganza”, “eggasparating” but nevertheless fitting for this fowl story.

To read more about this delightful story, surf over to The National Writing for Children Center. While you are there be sure to check out all the other great articles by Suzanne Lieurance's staff and faculty.



Write it down,
Carma