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Chicken Lily
Chicken Lily may be a lot of things--a careful colorer, a patient puzzler, and a quiet hide-and-seeker (she never made a peep!)--but brave has never been one of them. That's why, when a school-wide poetry jam is announced in class, Lily is terrified. Will she sound like a bird brain?
Although Lily's friends Baabette and Pigsley try to encourage her, Lily feels like a rotten egg. Finally, Lily realizes that she must put her best claw forward and prove that even chickens aren't chicken all the time.
Although Lily's friends Baabette and Pigsley try to encourage her, Lily feels like a rotten egg. Finally, Lily realizes that she must put her best claw forward and prove that even chickens aren't chicken all the time.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published March 29, 2016
3 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Lori Mortensen
79 books30 followersLori Mortensen is an award-winning children's author of more than 100 books. Her books, which reviewers have praised as “stellar” “as good as it gets” and “begs to be read aloud,” have been published by such notable publishers as HarperCollins, Henry Holt, Abrams, Bloomsbury, and Peachtree. Popular releases include, Arlo Draws an Octopus, illustrated by NYT bestselling author/illustrator Rob Sayegh, Jr., If Wendell Had a Walrus, illustrated by NYT bestselling author/illustrator Matt Phelan, Cowpoke Clyde Rides the Range, a Bill Martin Jr., Picture Book Award Nominee and the sequel to Amazon bestseller Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg, and picture book biographies Nonsense! The Curious Story of Edward Gorey and Away with Words, the Daring True Story of Explorer Isabella Bird.
When she’s not greeting geese at the lake, or putting her nose in a mystery, she’s tapping away at her keyboard, conjuring, coaxing, and prodding her latest stories to life. Today, she lives in the foothills of Northern California with her family and all birds that flock to her feeder—including a gluttonous squirrel.
When she’s not greeting geese at the lake, or putting her nose in a mystery, she’s tapping away at her keyboard, conjuring, coaxing, and prodding her latest stories to life. Today, she lives in the foothills of Northern California with her family and all birds that flock to her feeder—including a gluttonous squirrel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 16, 2016
Clever wordplay and a nice message about putting yourself out there.
August 25, 2017
This is a cute book. Lily reminds me of me when I was little (other than the being afraid of going on stage). Using for a display for "Chicken Month" in September!
June 8, 2017
Shy chick Lily is truly a chicken about trying new things and is especially unhappy about the upcoming poetry slam. With clever humor, Lily realistically struggles to overcome her fear. Young readers will enjoy the humorous wordplay and the encouraging message about bravery.
September 2, 2017
Chicken Lily is a (elementary age) chicken who enjoys life but is on the timid side. Lily's friends encourage her to become more engaged in life, but she always questions "what if?"
Lily's teacher announces a school poetry read. All Lily's friends are excited to compose and read aloud poetry. Not Lily.
Lily writes a list of reason why she cannot participate in the poetry read. Lily's teacher doesn't argue with her, only finding potential in her writing.
Lily writes a poem and reads it out loud in the poetry read and her attitude is transformed. She is still a "chicken" but is not afraid to try new things.
I found the gentle moral lesson uplifting for children and adults and would recommend this book to anyone who needs a "pick me up." And the illustrations are simply sweet.
Lily's teacher announces a school poetry read. All Lily's friends are excited to compose and read aloud poetry. Not Lily.
Lily writes a list of reason why she cannot participate in the poetry read. Lily's teacher doesn't argue with her, only finding potential in her writing.
Lily writes a poem and reads it out loud in the poetry read and her attitude is transformed. She is still a "chicken" but is not afraid to try new things.
I found the gentle moral lesson uplifting for children and adults and would recommend this book to anyone who needs a "pick me up." And the illustrations are simply sweet.
April 13, 2017
Cute! Good story about overcoming fears!
September 27, 2017
What's better than puns or chickens? Chickens AND puns! Also a good message about not being afraid to try something new. And the little ladybug in all of the illustrations is everything! <3
March 28, 2018
A great book that encourages bravery. Lily chicken learns not to be a chicken in front of an audience.
February 17, 2017
A sweet and endearing story that makes you want to cheer along with Lily (and her family and friends). My children love looking at the character names and re-reading to see what each of them is doing throughout the story. And spotting Lily's little ladybug friend. The ending is perfect!
November 2, 2017
nice story about putting aside your fears, at least for a little bit. Fun to see all the chicken cliches, wonder if the intended readers will recognize and enjoy them?
February 25, 2022
A cute book about overcoming one's fears.
March 14, 2017
Lovely story about facing your fears, some cool word play.
July 30, 2018
Great for back to school or being afraid to do something like read out loud in front of the class
October 25, 2017
Charming story of accepting our strengths and working on our weaknesses!
March 29, 2016
Chicken Lily is about a little chicken who is afraid to come out of her shell and read poetry in front of her class. She did not like adventure and chose to live life carefully in her own shell. One day at school, the teacher posted about a poetry slam that would be taking place where everyone in the class would take turns reading a poem that they had come up with themselves. Lily was so nervous about her poem that is was all she could think about. She decided to go to her teacher and tell her that she did not have time to write poetry and brought her a list of reasons, but her teacher thought her list was beautifully written and that she would be able to write the best poetry ever. Lily decided to give it a shot and over came her fears by reading her poem in front of the entire class.
The theme for this book is overcoming your fears even though it might be terribly scary. Doing things that we might be uncomfortable with will make us stronger.
In the 3rd grade i was in a school spelling bee. I practiced and practiced and was completely confident that i knew all of the words. When the spelling bee grew closer and closer, i began to get so nervous that i wanted to quit. When the spelling bee finally arrived and i was given my first word, i blanked and couldn't remember anything i had practiced. While reading this story about Lily, i thought about myself and all of my struggles i went through because i was nervous about being in front of a large group of people. I did overcome my fears eventually but i do not like all the attention and would say i am a little "chicken" when it comes to stuff like that. This book is relatable to anyone who has ever been afraid to do something and just needed a little encouragement to do so. This personal response helped me understand and connect with the story because i understand Lily's struggle in wanted to stay in your own shell.
I would recommend this book to children specifically ages 4 to 7 because of the language and the way it teaches children to overcome their fears. I like the pictures throughout the story and how they correlate with the what is happening throughout the book. I think that the ending is cute and i like how the language throughout the book is used by putting words that have to do with chickens throughout the story. I think that this book would help children realize that it is okay to be afraid sometimes and to not want to do something that they are uncomfortable with but its also a good thing to overcome their fears.
The theme for this book is overcoming your fears even though it might be terribly scary. Doing things that we might be uncomfortable with will make us stronger.
In the 3rd grade i was in a school spelling bee. I practiced and practiced and was completely confident that i knew all of the words. When the spelling bee grew closer and closer, i began to get so nervous that i wanted to quit. When the spelling bee finally arrived and i was given my first word, i blanked and couldn't remember anything i had practiced. While reading this story about Lily, i thought about myself and all of my struggles i went through because i was nervous about being in front of a large group of people. I did overcome my fears eventually but i do not like all the attention and would say i am a little "chicken" when it comes to stuff like that. This book is relatable to anyone who has ever been afraid to do something and just needed a little encouragement to do so. This personal response helped me understand and connect with the story because i understand Lily's struggle in wanted to stay in your own shell.
I would recommend this book to children specifically ages 4 to 7 because of the language and the way it teaches children to overcome their fears. I like the pictures throughout the story and how they correlate with the what is happening throughout the book. I think that the ending is cute and i like how the language throughout the book is used by putting words that have to do with chickens throughout the story. I think that this book would help children realize that it is okay to be afraid sometimes and to not want to do something that they are uncomfortable with but its also a good thing to overcome their fears.
January 3, 2020
The art is this is beyond adorable and the story is super sweet!
January 6, 2020
We all get a little nervous sometimes and if someone calls you "chicken", who cares?! Chickens are pretty cool anyway.
April 21, 2016
Lily was a lot of things. She was super careful when she colored. And super good and putting together puzzles. And super quiet when she played hide-and-seek. She was also a little chicken.
Hey! I’m not being mean. That’s Lily at the center of the cover.
The problem was that she was also afraid to try new things from new foods to riding without her training wheels. And then Miss Lop put up a poster. The class was going to participate in a poetry slam. The entire class.
Lily tried to come up with excuses but Miss Lop wasn’t having any part of it. Neither were Lily’s friends. With so many other people believing in her, Lily came to believe in herself.
In some picture books with animals characters, the animals act like what they are. Bunnies hop, sheep baa and cats chase mice. In this book, the bunny is the school teacher and the other animals are stand-ins for real kids. That can be helpful when you’re talking about fear and things that worry people. Young readers who may identify with the character have a bit more distance from the story. It gives them a bit of wiggle room to appreciate what is going on instead of just worrying about what their alter ego is experiencing.
Crittenden’s watercolor, pen and ink illustrations are engaging but also cartoony enough to make the readers smile. That said, they characters are still plenty expressive so readers will know when Lily is standing firm and when she’s at least a little bit worried.
Share this book with your class and use it as a jumping off point for discussing encouraging classmates who may have reservations about a particular activity. Share it with the young reader in your life who takes a moment or ten to warm up to something new. And be sure to share it with readers who simply enjoy sweet stories about characters who are finding their way in the world.
Originally reviewed on The Bookshelf (https://suebe2.wordpress.com/2016/04/...).
Hey! I’m not being mean. That’s Lily at the center of the cover.
The problem was that she was also afraid to try new things from new foods to riding without her training wheels. And then Miss Lop put up a poster. The class was going to participate in a poetry slam. The entire class.
Lily tried to come up with excuses but Miss Lop wasn’t having any part of it. Neither were Lily’s friends. With so many other people believing in her, Lily came to believe in herself.
In some picture books with animals characters, the animals act like what they are. Bunnies hop, sheep baa and cats chase mice. In this book, the bunny is the school teacher and the other animals are stand-ins for real kids. That can be helpful when you’re talking about fear and things that worry people. Young readers who may identify with the character have a bit more distance from the story. It gives them a bit of wiggle room to appreciate what is going on instead of just worrying about what their alter ego is experiencing.
Crittenden’s watercolor, pen and ink illustrations are engaging but also cartoony enough to make the readers smile. That said, they characters are still plenty expressive so readers will know when Lily is standing firm and when she’s at least a little bit worried.
Share this book with your class and use it as a jumping off point for discussing encouraging classmates who may have reservations about a particular activity. Share it with the young reader in your life who takes a moment or ten to warm up to something new. And be sure to share it with readers who simply enjoy sweet stories about characters who are finding their way in the world.
Originally reviewed on The Bookshelf (https://suebe2.wordpress.com/2016/04/...).
June 13, 2016
Filled with word play and a character whose experiences will speak to young readers, this picture book shows how one animal faces her fears. Although Lily does many things quite well, she is a bit of a, well, a chicken and is reluctant to take many risks. Not only does she ride her bike with training wheels, never volunteers answers in class or tries eating any unfamiliar foods, but she is nervous about public speaking. (Undoubtedly, most youngsters have had to deal with at least one of these fears.) When her teacher plans a poetry jam, Lily tries to worm her way out of writing and reciting the poem, but eventually she summons up the courage to write a poem by approaching it as a puzzle, and everything goes just fine. As the author points out on the final page, Lily is still a chicken but has overcome at least one fear. Although I like the story very much, I wish there had been more tangible suggestions for how she managed to bring herself to perform publicly so that nervous public speakers might feel supported in their own fears. The illustrations, created with watercolor, pen, and ink are simple yet appealing and work well with this story, filled as it is with animals.
August 7, 2016
Careful, patient and shy Chicken Lily is good at a lot of things, like coloring, putting puzzles together and playing hide-and-seek. But when it comes to taking chances, like trying new foods or raising her hand in class, Chicken Lily is a chicken. So when her teacher, Mrs. Lop announces a whole class poetry jam, Chicken Lily starts making excuses to get out of it. However, with patience and kindness from Mrs. Lop and poetic encouragement from her friends, Chicken Lily faces her fears and becomes a little bit braver. Mortensen uses clever wordplay to brings humor and gentleness to the story, making it relatable to young readers. Crittenden’s soft, calming pastel illustrations, created in watercolors, pen and ink, match Lily’s careful, gentle personality perfectly. The puns and wordplay as well as the theme of overcoming your fears makes this book ideal for a classroom read-aloud. Recommended for pre K-2nd grade.
March 5, 2024
A charming book about being too "chicken" to do something, but finding strength and courage to overcome your fears and conquer all, or the poetry jam, is exactly what the librarian ordered! This was an absolutely wonderful book that has the ability to inspire all children who read, or listen, to it. This book shows that it is okay to be afraid, or uncertain, and that overcoming that fear makes you realize what you were missing out on and how great you feel for trying. I also appreciated how the character who was too "chicken" to do something was a chicken. I believe that this comparison between the chicken character and being "chicken" shows a lighter and more fun side to how you can conquer your fears. This was an EGG-cellent laugh-out-loud book that should be read by all!
September 9, 2016
We've all been Lily at some time, wanting to be a part of something yet feeling just too overwhelmed to do it! Lori Mortensen's story is delightful and sweet, and helps to explore how "being chicken" is a little more complicated than folks think. With optimism and support from her friends, Lily powers through and conquers her performance hurdle! Nina Crittenden's illustrations are charming and sincere, with a few chicken idioms that kids will definitely recognize! Lots of sweet animal characters and delicate yet bright colors make this wonderfully visual, a lovely story for kids (and grown-ups, too)!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2016
Lily is not only shy, but very cautious. When she finds out her class will be reading their poems aloud, she becomes scared of what other's will think of her work. While all her friends write their poems, and encourage her, she frets and thinks about what could happen. Then one night she sits down and write her poem, and find she really enjoys poetry. She reads her poem aloud, and her class enjoys it as well. Lily is still curious, but a little braver about trying new things by the end of the book.
August 28, 2016
Chicken Lily knows what she knows, is good at what she's good at, and feels comfortable as long as her teacher and classmates don't try to push her to try new things. When participation in the Poetry Slam is not optional, Lily needs to face her choices, make up a good enough excuse to convince her teacher to allow her to miss the Slam, or take a risk. Young readers will find themselves cheering Lily, asking her to not be chicken, and to use what she's good at to take a risk.
September 23, 2018
Chicken Lily is an adorable book for kids! It is beautifully written, the illustrations are charming and Lily and her friends are sweet and cute. I loved reading this book with my little one. There is a lot to learn from the story. It teaches us not to be afraid, tying our best and overcoming our fears. The book is very playful and will have kids giggling! This is a wonderful story to read at home or in the classroom!
April 1, 2016
Chicken Lily is a book about bravery and testing your limits. Lily is brave about some things but not speaking in front of others but she spreads her wings when each student is required to participate in a Poetry Slam Contest and recite an original poem in front of an audience. Sweet illustrations and catchy text make this a fun read.
October 16, 2018
This was an awesome book! I wanted to read it because it was one of the only books a part of the South Carolina Book Award Nominees the library where I work did not have. Let's just say, I will be needing this book for our library!
May 4, 2016
Cute book about social anxiety
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April 28, 2016Poem's about a chicken named Lily who is scared to try new things. I could use this to teach students that they shouldn't be scared to try new things.
May 4, 2016
Cute. Funny. Kids will love it!!!
May 19, 2016
Super adorable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews