Starlight Goes to Town

by Harry Allard, George Booth (illustrator)

The other hens in Farmer Brown's Tennessee henhouse think that Starlight LaPoule - (Hush! Her real name is Ethel Fae Klucksworth) - is short a few feathers. They may be right. For Starlight is a chicken with a ridiculous dream. She wants to become a high-fashion model in Paris or Milan. And with the surprise help of her very own chicken fairy godmother, anything is possible. Or is it?


With antic illustrations by renowned cartoonist George Booth, Harry Allard's funny story about a hen with outsize expectations is sure to crack up even the most hard-boiled of readers.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Travel, Humor, Fairy Tales, Animals

32 pages, Hardcover

First published September 2, 2008

About the author

Harry Allard was an American writer of children's books. Many of his books have received awards; a few have also been banned and challenged in the United States.

Reviews

[Amber the Human · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding book. Maybe not an outstanding children's book - I'm not sure how many of them will appreciate the sheer wackiness of it. But it's full of incredible imagination and the drawings are so fun. Get it, read it to your child. If they like it, great, but really - it's for you.

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is about a spring chicken...and yeah she is a chicken on a nice little farm...who moonlights under the name Starlight (don't you just love my wordplay?) and dreams of being a top model. Of course lots of scrawny chicken types have made it in the fashion industry (Elle McPherson, Kate Moss, Paris and Nicki to name a few) but the other farm hens don't wanna hear that. Then a fairy godchicken named Ms Youngstown (as in Ohio) pops into the picture and grants her the power to be what she dreams by wishing. Next day, Starlight lays an egg THIS HUGE and lo and behold it cracks open and out pops a convertible. Starlight guns it and off she goes around the world to become...America's.....Next....Top....Chicken! But of course the world is not that receptive of a chicken modeling the finest threads. I mean, it's called a CAT walk, not a CHICKEN walk! Still she's living the dream...until the fairy godchicken takes a vaycay and Starlight's wishes leave her with less than desired stuff like...an old fashioned radio and a ramshackle house. So Starlight has to become what so many real life modelistas refuse to become: humble. A nice satire for kids to enjoy and learn from. My wish: maybe Paris and Nicki can learn from this as well? Well, wishes do come true....eventually.
Three stars
Starlight is the first chicken you can read tonight!

[Hannah Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I liked: A chicken who lays eggs containing garage sale items is a pretty clever concept.
What I didn't like: I didn't like how the chicken completely disregarded her barnyard friends when she sped off in the convertible, like they didn't mean squat to her. She didn't even offer to send a postcard.

[Kali · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm just... going to quietly add "Harry Allard" to my list of people who are completely insane (in the best possible way) and call it a day on this review. This book is complete silliness. There's no moral or lesson to be learned here - it's just plain silly fun :)

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

utterly ridiculous. Love it.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starlight goes a lot further than just town! What a ridiculous story. Some kids, and probably a few more adults, will have the sense of humor to appreciate this. Some won't.

[Arminzerella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starlight the chicken has always dreamed of being a high fashion model in Milan, Italy, but she’s stuck in rural Tennessee. After numerous complaints she is visited by her chicken fairy godmother who tells her how to get what she wants – all she needs to do is wish hard and lay an egg. Starlight hatches a convertible the next day and heads off to the big city. An egg and a plane later she’s in Milan! Things don’t work out for her so well there (people laugh her off the runway), but Starlight is not deterred. She returns to the states (Connecticut this time) where she attempts to lay a house. Uh-oh. Her fairy god mother has taken a vacation and left her nitwitted nephew in charge of all the wishes! It takes some time, but eventually Starlight manages to lay an acceptable house. She adds the mixed up wishes and their results to her never-ending yard sale.

Love this story. This is a chicken who knows how to take the lemons life hands her and make…er, omelettes? Starlight is just so matter-of-fact about everything. She knows what she wants, and once she has the means, she goes out to achieve it. I admire her spirit, her chutzpah, and her google-y eyes. Hilarious, chicken-scratch artwork, and a weirdly lovely story complement each other perfectly.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of Starlight, who is a chicken visited by her fairy godmother. After the visit, Starlight is granted whatever she wishes, and everything is granted to her through an egg she lays herself--she lays a convertible to get her off the hen farm, and lots of other wild and crazy things. The illustrations are very cartoonish. A cute, but not really memorable story.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starlight could have been somebody I really know (and of course they'd go by a stage name, too). This is kind of like finding out years later on FB what happened to your "unnamed friend." I never imagined Starlight would have ended up there doing that, but I think it's great she's happy even if it's not egg-xactly what she had in mind. teehee

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

Funny and silly book, and the illustrations are great, but really kinda bizarre and uses cultural references I don't think the kids will get. Not that useful for teaching any targets I'm responsible for. i could read it at the end of the day when kids are just listening to settle down and enjoy soothing sounds of read aloud, not understand every word.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hilarious, odd little book about a chicken who wants to be a star and then meets a fairy godmother who tells her to make wishes when she lays eggs. Leading to Starlight laying cars, planes etc. Silly fun.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little weird and the illustrations were a bit creepy (the horse and a few of the people) at times. But, I did like some of the chickens expressions. The interesting thing was that it kept my attention the whole way through.

[Charlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A. It's by Harry Allard.
B. Starlight is the chicken's pseudonym
So, the book has to be funny and it is. Starlight wants to be a fashion model in a big city. Thank heavens there is a fairy godmother to help this dream (or at least add to the hilarity of the premise). It's a hoot.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The cover caught my eye and the image prior to the title page (Starlight in pink high heels) definitely made want to read on! Totally silly and an interesting ending but sure fun to share with fourth graders.

[Christine Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hilarious book about a chicken who dreams big, and with help from her fairy godmother, gets what she wants. Although, her results are unexpected.

[Jenette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Seemed like the author worked too hard for the humor. Isn't hilariously funny like book review says. Seemed to be a story that was slapped together.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just pure silliness.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Strange chicken who lays eggs filled with things she wished for. I thought she wanted to be a chicken model.

[Sarah Stumphf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nonsensical story about a little hen from Tennessee who dreams big!

[Ham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the art and the sense of humor. Only wished for a little more substance.

[Sara Lemonade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read on November 8, 2014.