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49th out of 109 books
—
92 voters
Chicken Big
by
Keith Graves
On a teeny little farm, in an itty-bitty coop, a very small hen laid a big, giant egg. And out of this egg came one big, humongous . . . something. "It's big!" clucked the little rooster. "It's enormous!" clucked the small chicken. "It's anelephant!" peeped the smallest chicken. "Run for your lives!" they cried. No matter how they try, these clueless chickens can't make se...more
Hardcover, 40 pages
Published
August 18th 2010
by Chronicle Books
(first published August 1st 2010)
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This book was another book that won the Washington State Childrens Choice Picture Book Award. I loved this book and thought it was so cute, funny, and heart warming. The book was about a chicken that was born in a very small chicken house and he was HUGE and the other chickens didn't like him and made fun of him for being so large. However, with each new struggle that they encountered the Chicken Big could help the other chickens out and did so without asking for anything in return. Finally, the...more
Graves’ picturebook Chicken Big is a postmodern reimagining of the classic tale of Chicken Little in which the audience’s expectations are thwarted at every turn. A chorus of minor characters—comprised of a rooster and three hens whose increasingly diminishing height mirrors their intelligence and rationality—drive the plot, beginning with a conversation on the title page in which they decide what to call the text. The chorus’ series of erroneous conclusions as to what exactly the title characte...more
This hilarious spin on the classic Chicken Little story features a band of ditzy chickens who are confused by the presence of a giant chicken who just wants to be part of the gang. When this enormous chicken is born the others aren’t quite sure what to do, but they are fairly sure that it is not a chicken. It’s so big, it must be an elephant! The small and not-so-bright chickens are easily fooled into thinking the sky is falling or leaking, but luckily the large chicken manages to save the day b...more
When a humongous chick hatches from his egg on a teeny little farm, a little rooster and three small chickens cannot figure out what it is. The smallest chicken (who's not the sharpest crayon in the box), decides he's (the humongous chick, a.k.a. Chicken Big) an elephant. He cannot stay in the coop due to his size and being an elephant.
The next day an acorn falls and hits the smallest chicken on the head (Hmmm...Sound familiar?). She of course believes the sky is falling and persuades the others...more
The next day an acorn falls and hits the smallest chicken on the head (Hmmm...Sound familiar?). She of course believes the sky is falling and persuades the others...more
I have author envy. It arises whenever I see a book title like Chicken Big. Of course. How obvious. Take the classic Chicken Little and give it a twist. But it only became obvious after author/illustrator Keith Graves beat me to publication. And, I must admit, his goofy book is more amusing than anything I could have hatched.
The story begins when "a very small hen laid a big, humongous egg". The other chickens don't know what to make of the giant hatchling. The smallest chicken ("not the sharpes...more
The story begins when "a very small hen laid a big, humongous egg". The other chickens don't know what to make of the giant hatchling. The smallest chicken ("not the sharpes...more
This is an absolutely hilarious re-telling of Chicken Little, perfect for lovers of fractured fairy tales or for anyone looking for a great read-aloud for kids from 4 to 8. Older children will also enjoy the quirky humor and comical drawings. In this story, a very small chicken on a teeny little farm, in an itty-bitty coop, lays a humongous egg, from which pops a humongous chick. The not-too-bright chickens in the coop don't know what it is, thinking it might be an elephant, a squirrel, an umbre...more
Chicken Big is so big the other chickens (who are not all that bright) think he might be an elephant. But they are confused when he eats an acorn, shelters them from the weather, and keeps them warm. That is not what an elephant does!!! Well what is he?? Will they figure it out?? Funny and clever picture book. Should appeal to parents and younsters. Also a good for an 'opposite' themed story time. Preschoolers.
This reminded me of the Mo Willems "Pigeon wants a…." books although I much prefer those over this title. This book didn't grab me but my girls keep wanting me to read it to them so there must be something there for kids! I like some of the implied sentiment in the book---i.e. being different can be a good thing--- but it is a very subtle sentiment and the chicken has to go through a lot before he is finally accepted as a chicken! There is also subtle "bullying" as the other chickens will not ac...more
Reading Chicken Big aloud, you start to enjoy the sound of the words: teeny, itty-bitty, humongous, clucked, enormous, squawked, conked, peeped, splatted, hippopotamus, stomping, teensy-weensy.
It's easy to see how a child hearing and learning the words would get into the rhythm of the book and be captivated by the illustrations of the large, funny looking chick that somehow saves the day. You don't have to be familiar with the story of Chicken Little to appreciate Chicken Big, but a kid who know...more
It's easy to see how a child hearing and learning the words would get into the rhythm of the book and be captivated by the illustrations of the large, funny looking chick that somehow saves the day. You don't have to be familiar with the story of Chicken Little to appreciate Chicken Big, but a kid who know...more
Silly fun. A big, humongous chick is born into a coop of dim-witted, regular-size chickens. The story is a little bit Ugly Duckling, a little bit Chicken Little, and a little bit Seven Blind Mice, as they try to figure out the giant in their midst.
I thought the illustrations could have benefitted from a little less detail; with all the muted colors, the small chickens are hard to see, and it's hard to tell where to focus your eyes. And the final word "chicken" is so decorated as to be almost ill...more
I thought the illustrations could have benefitted from a little less detail; with all the muted colors, the small chickens are hard to see, and it's hard to tell where to focus your eyes. And the final word "chicken" is so decorated as to be almost ill...more
A fractured version of the classic Chicken Little story, this book is big on chickens and big on humor too. A huge chick is born on a tiny farm in an itty-bitty coop. When the chick hatches, the chickens try to figure out what in the world it is. It’s big, even enormous, so it must be an elephant! That theory only lasts until an acorn falls on the head of one of the chickens and the big chick eats it up rather than running in fear. If it eats acorns, then it must be a squirrel! When rain starts...more
Oh goodness. Another laugh out loud. Thank you Lane Smith and Mélanie Watt (and others) for opening up the concept of a book like this, using the endpapers, back cover, different fonts, etc. to take full advantage of the fact that a picture-book can be so much more than a simple illustrated story. This may not be the very best example of that style, but it was creative and heart-warming.... And, as someone who actually helped raise backyard chickens, I can assure you that the scenes of panic cau...more
“On a teeny little farm, in an itty-bitty coop, a very small hen laid a big, humongous egg.” The giant chicken that emerges is an outcast among the others and they interject ideas as to what kind of animal he truly is. He’s a squirrel? He’s a hippopotamus? When things begin to go wrong at the farm the gigantic chicken’s big heart is revealed. Will the others be able to see past his different appearance and accept him for the chicken that he is?
This is a cute twist on the classic tale of Chicken...more
This is a cute twist on the classic tale of Chicken...more
Bah ha ha! This book made me laugh aloud! On a teeny little farm, a hen lays a humongous egg, out of which hatches…a massive chicken! The only problem is that it’s so large, none of the other chickens knows it’s a chicken. Every time Chicken Big does something new, the smallest chicken (in a voice that rings alarmingly true for anybody who knows a know-it-all) confidently declares it something new: an elephant, a squirrel, an umbrella. Will the other chickens ever realize that Chicken Big…is a c...more
Aug 19, 2010
Gmr
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
readers of all ages
Recommended to Gmr by:
Chronicle Books
Top notch review for many reasons....one of which is that while this is a picture book aimed at audiences approximately 4-8 years old, it can truly be enjoyed by one and all. The crazy/fun little chickens and their lack of understanding about the "BIG" disturbance in their family circle provides BIG fun. Expressed through comical quotes and thought bubbles, you'd think that'd be enough...nope. The author and illustrator worked hand in hand and provided wonderful illustrations to match the mood o...more
Betrayal. Jealousy. Abandonment. Ah, friendship.
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder is about this beauteous thing--friendship. What it means to be a good friend and what it means to be a not so good friend.
Jessie, Bizza, and Char are the best of friends. Until Bizza and Char go punk--without Jessie. Char dyes her hair red and buys combat boots. Bizza shaves her head and steals the love of Jessie's life. Jessie... still has the same hair she's had since forever and the only identity revolution she's makin...more
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder is about this beauteous thing--friendship. What it means to be a good friend and what it means to be a not so good friend.
Jessie, Bizza, and Char are the best of friends. Until Bizza and Char go punk--without Jessie. Char dyes her hair red and buys combat boots. Bizza shaves her head and steals the love of Jessie's life. Jessie... still has the same hair she's had since forever and the only identity revolution she's makin...more
Mar 29, 2011
Candice
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Sophie - when she's older
Shelves:
picture-books
A silly book in the manner of Chicken Little. In a tiny hen house, a small hen lays a huge egg and out hatches a humongous chicken. He is so big that the other chickens don't even think he's a chicken. At first they think he's an elephant. Then when one of the chickens gets hit on the head with an acorn and thinks the sky is falling, Chicken Big eats the acorn and they think he's a squirrel. He continues to save the chickens from their own stupidity until he makes one heroic rescue and the other...more
Who: K- 2nd grade
Maybe my expectations were too high for this book; the illustrations looked superb (reminded me of Mo Willem's books) and the comic style looked like a lot of fun. The story line however left much to be desiried. I anticipated some kind of play on the Chicken Little story after an acorn hits one of the characters on the head...but it never came through..only leaving me confused. My 4 yr. old grew tired of this book and even asked me to stop reading it. We persevered, only not to...more
Maybe my expectations were too high for this book; the illustrations looked superb (reminded me of Mo Willem's books) and the comic style looked like a lot of fun. The story line however left much to be desiried. I anticipated some kind of play on the Chicken Little story after an acorn hits one of the characters on the head...but it never came through..only leaving me confused. My 4 yr. old grew tired of this book and even asked me to stop reading it. We persevered, only not to...more
Jun 15, 2011
Emmet O'Neal Library- Children's Department
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
2010,
picture-books
Bah ha ha! This book made me laugh aloud! On a teeny little farm, a hen lays a humongous egg, out of which hatches…a massive chicken! The only problem is that it’s so large, none of the other chickens knows it’s a chicken. Every time Chicken Big does something new, the smallest chicken (in a voice that rings alarmingly true for anybody who knows a know-it-all) confidently declares it something new: an elephant, a squirrel, an umbrella. Will the other chickens ever realize that Chicken Big…is a c...more
High score: title, front cover. You had me.
Yes: transliteration of chicken-noises. bok!
Alas: all down hill from there. Why? The big chick -- her hair is wrong! (A middle part?!) Also wrong: her eyes -- the kind you learn in olde-time how-to-draw-comics pamphlets -- way too inexpressive. Perhaps it wouldn't matter so much, but she's our Hero. The other chickens aren't quite right, either, sorry to say. The story itself, along with the percolating dialog, might have saved the day if the drawings w...more
Yes: transliteration of chicken-noises. bok!
Alas: all down hill from there. Why? The big chick -- her hair is wrong! (A middle part?!) Also wrong: her eyes -- the kind you learn in olde-time how-to-draw-comics pamphlets -- way too inexpressive. Perhaps it wouldn't matter so much, but she's our Hero. The other chickens aren't quite right, either, sorry to say. The story itself, along with the percolating dialog, might have saved the day if the drawings w...more
A little chicken lays a big egg which leads to a humongous chick, and the chickens in the coop don't know what to think about it! At first, the smallest chicken thinks it is an elephant, but when an acorn falls and hits the smallest chicken on the head (a little Chicken Little thrown in), the big, humongous chick makes the observation that it is just a tasty acorn. So the others decide since it eats acorns, it must be a squirrel. On and on it goes until they finally figure out what this creature...more
Keith Graves is kind of a brilliant guy. I mean he has written a story that's a great read-aloud and which had my two children and myself racing to the end to see what happens.
The story begins with an EGG BIG being laid. Out from it pops a really huge chick. He's so large in fact that the other chickens don't recognize what he is. They stand around using various modifiers that mean BIG until the Smallest Chicken, who isn't "the sharpest beak in the flock", exclaims that Big Chick must be an elep...more
The story begins with an EGG BIG being laid. Out from it pops a really huge chick. He's so large in fact that the other chickens don't recognize what he is. They stand around using various modifiers that mean BIG until the Smallest Chicken, who isn't "the sharpest beak in the flock", exclaims that Big Chick must be an elep...more
This is a funny story about a big chicken trying to fit in with the rest of the chickens at the farm. The others do not accept him because he looks so different from the rest of them. The big chicken then does all these good deeds to help the other chickens and they finally realize that he is a chicken even though his appearance may be vastly different. This is a story I would use to teach a lesson about accepting others that are different from us and not judging our peers by outer appearance.
One day a very surprised hen lays a humongous egg out of which hatches a humongous chick! This leads to trouble in the farmyard as the chick is too big to live in the coop, and is really too big to be a chicken at all. So what is he? Full of expressive, cartoon-like illustrations and clever asides, this is a picture book for older readers who will appreciate the sly humor. It’s also a subtle story about fitting in even when you are different from those around you.
I liked it! This fun book features a big, humongous chick. The other hens are not the sharpest beaks in the shed and can't figure out quite what this huge chicken might be. They characters are presented consistently and repetitively and even young readers will be able to follow along. The illustrations are fun as well. Everything wraps up nice and neat by the end of the story. Recommended for K - 2.
An obtrusively large chicken makes for a spoof tale of "Chicken Little". The exclamations from the other chickens will surely make a young or old audience crack up with the absurdities. Although he is deemed an outcast, and the other chickens try to identify exactly what the large body is, Chicken Big saves the others over and over again and teaches the lesson of fitting in...
A fractured folktale of Chicken Little. While Chicken Little was very dumb, Chicken Big is very smart. The other chickens don't know what he is, and think he is anything from an elephant to an umbrella. The smallest chicken thinks the sky is falling, but Chicken Big saves the day. Different episodes like this continue until the other chickens finally realize what Chicken Big really is.
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Run for your lives!!!
This book is fantastic and so funny. I bought it for my nephews and read it to them 3 times the first night. A week later they pretty much have it memorized: both the 7 year old and the almost 4 year old.
If you have little peeps in your life, Chicken Big is one ginormously entertaining read.
This book is fantastic and so funny. I bought it for my nephews and read it to them 3 times the first night. A week later they pretty much have it memorized: both the 7 year old and the almost 4 year old.
If you have little peeps in your life, Chicken Big is one ginormously entertaining read.
Honestly, when I read this book the first time, not in front of kindergarteners, I didn't really know if the students would understand or like the humor within this book. Yet, when I read this book to the students, they were so engaged and laughed a little too much. Keith Graves takes the story of Chicken Little spins it with a new, smart character who is just a little different.
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