Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile
"What a pretty chicken I am!" says Mrs. Chicken. Wanting to see her whole reflection, she heads to the river. She doesn't know that crocodile is waiting just beneath the surface to snap her up. "Bok!" Crocodile drags the alarmed Mrs. Chicken back to her lair to eat her. But Mrs. Chicken knows how to keep her head in a crisis, and she enacts a drawn out plan to convince Crocodile they are really sisters, eventually achieving a masterful escape. This delightful, humorous tale comes from the Dan people of Liberia and was told to co-author Won-Ldy Paye by his grandmother when he was growing up. Julie Paschkis's wonderful stylized illustrations are set against bright white when Mrs. Chicken is in her own element on land , and bold black when she's in Crocodile's deep dark lair. In each instance her choice enhances the characters' colorful personalities, giving them vibrant visual presence on the page. Honor Book, 2004 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2003 Cooperative Children's Book Center
Illustrated by Julie Paschkis
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 4-7
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Animals (Fiction)
Dan People
Folk and Fairy Tales
Humor
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publisher:
Henry Holt
Publish Year: 2003
Pages: 32
ISBN: 0805070478
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 398 Paye