What do you think?
Rate this book
Bear and Chicken
Humor, a surprise ending, and an unlikely friendship make Bear and Chicken fall into the ranks with Mo Willems and Dev Petty, and the soup recipe at the end will inspire young chefs to get into the kitchen and cook!
When Bear finds a chicken frozen in the winter snow, he brings it home to try to defrost it. As Chicken thaws-um, awakens-he fears that Bear is actually prepping to eat him. Oh no! All signs are pointing to a fateful end for Chicken-being wrapped like a burrito, chopped basil and veggies sitting on the counter, the huge pot on the stove that's just the right size for a chicken to fit inside.
It's almost time for lunch, so Chicken makes a run for it! But in the end, Chicken learns that perhaps he too quickly jumped to conclusions. This funny and clever friendship tale teaches kids that things are not always as they seem, while learning a thing or two about making soup with a friend!
When Bear finds a chicken frozen in the winter snow, he brings it home to try to defrost it. As Chicken thaws-um, awakens-he fears that Bear is actually prepping to eat him. Oh no! All signs are pointing to a fateful end for Chicken-being wrapped like a burrito, chopped basil and veggies sitting on the counter, the huge pot on the stove that's just the right size for a chicken to fit inside.
It's almost time for lunch, so Chicken makes a run for it! But in the end, Chicken learns that perhaps he too quickly jumped to conclusions. This funny and clever friendship tale teaches kids that things are not always as they seem, while learning a thing or two about making soup with a friend!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published November 14, 2017
1 person is currently reading
90 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
January 1, 2019
I read this book for a third grade class, and it was an absolute hit. That's because the art is good and the story is not only funny but also engaging--perhaps even slightly suspenseful. And it even comes with a recipe in the back for soup! (OK, the soup recipe doesn't necessarily help when reading to a group--but the kids got an extra laugh out of it, which you'll understand after you read the book. And for at home reading, the recipe could be a fun extension of the reading experience--and a tasty meal.) There's also a very brief note about the habits and diets of black bears that children may find interesting and hopefully educational.
Bear finds Chicken frozen in the woods and takes her home to thaw her. Then he starts to make soup. But what are his true intentions towards Chicken?! The kids I read to have a lot of fun figuring out what was going to happen as we read the book. The story has some subtle points about judging people by their appearance/ reputation, and about what overcoming those expectations can lead to. Fun to read to groups or individual children, and especially perfect for cozy reading in chilly winter weather. Highly recommended.
Bear finds Chicken frozen in the woods and takes her home to thaw her. Then he starts to make soup. But what are his true intentions towards Chicken?! The kids I read to have a lot of fun figuring out what was going to happen as we read the book. The story has some subtle points about judging people by their appearance/ reputation, and about what overcoming those expectations can lead to. Fun to read to groups or individual children, and especially perfect for cozy reading in chilly winter weather. Highly recommended.
August 24, 2025
Great for storytime!
July 11, 2017
Our family takes soup very seriously, and so does Bear! One day, Bear discovers a chicken frozen in the snow. "How does one defrost a chicken?" thought Bear. Debut author & illustrator Jannie Ho had us cracking up as we fell in love with Bear and Chicken. Poor chicken, wrapped up like a burrito, jumps to the wrong conclusions about her soup-stirring rescuer. Or does she? As bear consults his cookbook, boils water, and chops basil, chicken simmers with suspicion. Will Chicken end up in Bear's soup? (Big bonus: There's a recipe in the back! And a sweet note about good-natured, vegetarian black bears.) Ho's hilarious puns and adorable illustrations will have kids and adults asking for seconds and thirds!
March 2, 2018
This would be a delight to read to a kindergarten class--the suspense for the poor chicken would play very well with this age group.
October 22, 2018
Bear discovers a shivering chicken in the snowy forest outside his cabin. Bear brings the bird inside, but as Bear chops veggies and prepares a soup, Chicken fears he's next on the menu! Chicken (and the reader) then learn a valuable lesson about jumping to conclusions!
Fantastic! THIS is how you do a humane-themed picture book. It's fun, it's engaging, and there's nothing in it to turn off mainstream audiences. When I turned to the back of the book and saw the recipe for (chicken-friendly!) vegetable soup, it bumped BEAR & CHICKEN up to five stars.
Fantastic! THIS is how you do a humane-themed picture book. It's fun, it's engaging, and there's nothing in it to turn off mainstream audiences. When I turned to the back of the book and saw the recipe for (chicken-friendly!) vegetable soup, it bumped BEAR & CHICKEN up to five stars.
December 24, 2020
A fun little book. The chicken thinks he will be eaten and the oblivious bear just wants to be friends.
December 8, 2017
My 3 year old wants to read it every night. And it's a lovely book so I don't mind.
November 5, 2023
Certain kids may find this tale of chicken danger hilarious. Yet they won't hesitate to scream their heads off if somebody borrows a favorite toy.
No wonder it's such tricky business, writing for very inexperienced (read that as "immature") picture book enthusiasts.
THE PLIGHT OF THE CHICKEN -- AT FIRST
"Chicken" -- yep, that's his name, just as Bear's name is "Bear." Some picture books are thoughtful and insightful, but don't expect that here.
Back to the initial plight... Chicken somehow gets frozen in the snow. Bear attempts to help him by defrosting him. And in the fantasy world of this story, sure, a chicken who has literally frozen stiff all over... has not frozen to death.
Bear decides to warm up Chicken by making a large vat of "delicious soup."
Chicken becomes terrified, but haha. Bear is only acting like a friend and making soup for the two of them.
THE PLIGHT OF THE CHICKEN BY THE END OF THE STORY
He becomes friends with Bear. Chicken even laughs at himself for having had the thought he had before, that Bear was planning to eat him. Sooooooooo funny?
On behalf of the readers who are in the intended audience? Sure, FIVE STARS.
Just don't count me among the intended audience, fellow Goodreaders.
No wonder it's such tricky business, writing for very inexperienced (read that as "immature") picture book enthusiasts.
THE PLIGHT OF THE CHICKEN -- AT FIRST
"Chicken" -- yep, that's his name, just as Bear's name is "Bear." Some picture books are thoughtful and insightful, but don't expect that here.
Back to the initial plight... Chicken somehow gets frozen in the snow. Bear attempts to help him by defrosting him. And in the fantasy world of this story, sure, a chicken who has literally frozen stiff all over... has not frozen to death.
Bear decides to warm up Chicken by making a large vat of "delicious soup."
Chicken becomes terrified, but haha. Bear is only acting like a friend and making soup for the two of them.
THE PLIGHT OF THE CHICKEN BY THE END OF THE STORY
He becomes friends with Bear. Chicken even laughs at himself for having had the thought he had before, that Bear was planning to eat him. Sooooooooo funny?
On behalf of the readers who are in the intended audience? Sure, FIVE STARS.
Just don't count me among the intended audience, fellow Goodreaders.
November 14, 2017
This is a new bedtime story favorite for my 6 year old daughter! The story is just dark enough to be a little shocking, but no worries, there is a sweet ending. The vivid and super cute illustrations make it even better, and I really adore the different sizes and fonts for the words BEAR and CHICKEN. Little design elements like this heighten the reading experience and provide great guidance for children as they attempt to read along.
I can't wait to share this at school - I guarantee that kids will predict that the bear is making chicken soup and we can have great discussions about predictions and clues. Highly recommend this one for read alouds in elementary grades - even my 5th graders will enjoy the humor and suspense!
Thanks so much to the publisher for this review copy ~ we love it.
I can't wait to share this at school - I guarantee that kids will predict that the bear is making chicken soup and we can have great discussions about predictions and clues. Highly recommend this one for read alouds in elementary grades - even my 5th graders will enjoy the humor and suspense!
Thanks so much to the publisher for this review copy ~ we love it.
November 1, 2022
This is a silly little book that young readers will certainly enjoy. A hungry bear is returning from his morning walk when he spies a chicken froze in the snow. She's clearly a traveler, and even has one of those handkerchiefs on a stick. Bear brings her inside, trying to figure out how to defrost her. While he's making some soup for the two to enjoy together, Chicken wakes up, convinced she's on the menu!
What makes this book so fun is the delightful illustrations and the fact that everything Bear does can be interpreted one of two ways. Young readers will have fun trying to guess what his real intentions are, while the adults reading to them will know there is nothing to fear.
As a fun bonus, there's a recipe for soup in the back of the book, so everyone can enjoy a nice meal afterwards!
What makes this book so fun is the delightful illustrations and the fact that everything Bear does can be interpreted one of two ways. Young readers will have fun trying to guess what his real intentions are, while the adults reading to them will know there is nothing to fear.
As a fun bonus, there's a recipe for soup in the back of the book, so everyone can enjoy a nice meal afterwards!
December 26, 2018
Bear finds a Chicken frozen in the snow. Bear brings Chicken inside, and begins to cook soup-which Chicken assumes they will soon become apart of.
We have seen this before, where one character assumes they will be cooked and eaten by another only to be served a meal. This is another version, though it is cute in its own way. The illustrations are bright and warm and show Bear preparing the meal step by step. I'm a little confused why Bear has a shirt, pants, and boots, but Chicken is naked, but whatever. I did like how cooking terms are used throughout the story, such as Bear wondering how to defrost a chicken, and Chicken simmering in suspicion. They are well placed and don't distract from the flow of the text.
We have seen this before, where one character assumes they will be cooked and eaten by another only to be served a meal. This is another version, though it is cute in its own way. The illustrations are bright and warm and show Bear preparing the meal step by step. I'm a little confused why Bear has a shirt, pants, and boots, but Chicken is naked, but whatever. I did like how cooking terms are used throughout the story, such as Bear wondering how to defrost a chicken, and Chicken simmering in suspicion. They are well placed and don't distract from the flow of the text.
January 2, 2018
This book goes deep into profiling and stereotyping people before you get to know them properly. Snap judgements are a real problem in our society and no one knows that better than bears. We're quick to peg bears as vicious animals but really they're all sweethearts that want to make soup for cold chickens. And what thanks do they get in return? Stereotypes. Sure, there are SOME bears out there that would eat a chicken--but not all bears! Pinning expectations on an entire group because of your preconceived notions is simply wrong and chicken learned that the rude way.
Also, there's a recipe in the back of the book! Neato!
Also, there's a recipe in the back of the book! Neato!
January 9, 2018
Bears...bears eat everything, they are ferocious, they are carnivorous, they have cookbooks! So when chicken is found frozen in the woods and taken to bear's house, what is a reader, and a chicken supposed to think?!?! A story that is wonderfully illustrated, with details to explore, and just the right elements in the "frame" to keep that poor chicken, and readers, thinking that what we think we know about bears is true. With an ending I would ask any group of readers to scream out "Plot Twist"! and Soup Recipe on the last page that is easy to follow, Bear and Chicken will be a story worth revisiting.
picture-books
January 29, 2026Date: 01.12.26
Attendees:73
Theme: Chickens
Introduction and announcements: My Hands Say Hello
Book one: Bear and Chicken by Jannie Ho
Song/rhyme/game one: I am a little Chicken
Book two: Chicken Big by Keith Graves
Song/rhyme/game two: I Know a Chicken by Laurie Berkner
Book three: Rex vs Edna the Very First Chicken by Douglas Rees
Song/ rhyme/ game three: Little Chick
Activity: https://simplyfullofdelight.com/wp-co...
Attendees:73
Theme: Chickens
Introduction and announcements: My Hands Say Hello
Book one: Bear and Chicken by Jannie Ho
Song/rhyme/game one: I am a little Chicken
Book two: Chicken Big by Keith Graves
Song/rhyme/game two: I Know a Chicken by Laurie Berkner
Book three: Rex vs Edna the Very First Chicken by Douglas Rees
Song/ rhyme/ game three: Little Chick
Activity: https://simplyfullofdelight.com/wp-co...
December 11, 2017
This made me apprehensive while I was reading it ("They wouldn't really have the Bear eat the Chicken would they?" was running through my head the entire time I was reading this, but hey! you read a Mo Willems book, and you never know!), and I think it may have changed how this book turned out for me.
I nervously enjoyed how it played with its words, saying things like "simmered in suspicion." There was a lot of strong verb use here. Yeah!
I nervously enjoyed how it played with its words, saying things like "simmered in suspicion." There was a lot of strong verb use here. Yeah!
August 8, 2020
I think the lesson of this book is about not judging someone before getting to know them, but it could also read as vegetarian propaganda. I don't mind either way!
Sweet illustrations and a reminder that friends may be found in the most unlikely of places. I also liked that there was a recipe for veggie soup at the end. Delicious! And encourages an interactive extension to progress the reading experience.
Sweet illustrations and a reminder that friends may be found in the most unlikely of places. I also liked that there was a recipe for veggie soup at the end. Delicious! And encourages an interactive extension to progress the reading experience.
June 6, 2017
Bear and Chicken has all the classic ingredients, cooked with just the right touch of sweetness, darkness, humor, and simmering suspense. My kids loved the (totally age appropriate!) scary bits and enjoyed guessing Bear's plot towards the end. A great book for family or school and a really fun read-aloud.
December 5, 2017
This is such a funny take on mistaken identities and assuming you know someone before you really get to know them. And the set up of the problem: "How does one defrost a chicken?" made me literally LOL. Ho's facial expressions on both Bear and Chicken are fantastic too, and tell a story all on their own!
July 27, 2018
Just what is Bear’s intentions when he brings chicken in from the cold. Bear is preparing lunch, after all, and when Chicken wakes up all he can see is Bear’s big teeth. Is Chicken about to become the main course? Chicken doesn’t wait around to find out ... she runs out of the house with Bear in close pursuit.
Includes a recipe for Bear’s Vegetable Soup.
Includes a recipe for Bear’s Vegetable Soup.
April 8, 2019
Pulling books from the Picture Book long list to get ideas of what to read. This got sent on a train trip with Daddy, SD, and SS. So I had to read it later. Cute. It reminded me a little of The Lamb Who Came for Dinner, but with its own twist. One could really play up the chicken's fears in reading this aloud. Great idea for a storytime. Not sure how the kids liked it.
May 11, 2017
The story of a bear who finds a chicken frozen in the snow and means well when he brings it home to warm up, but from the chicken's perspective nothing could be scarier. A fun book that plays with expectations and is a perfect storytime read. Ho's illustrations are adorable.
August 16, 2017
Delicious read! When Chicken is half-frozen in the snow Bear brings her into his house to warm up. Chicken doesn't know what to think – is Bear friendly or just hungry? A funny tale of apprehension and assumption with delightful and emotive illustrations.
November 22, 2017
Better than chicken soup for the soul is a book about bear and chicken friendship. The delightful tale starts as mix of misunderstanding but a pinch of kindness, concern and a special ingredient whips up masterpiece of a dish.
November 30, 2017
A cute story about a chicken who thinks it's going to be made into chicken soup by the bear who rescues it from the cold. A great story about identifying and overcoming misconceptions and stereotypes.
January 6, 2018
ACK!!! I love this so much!!!! It's so cute and funny. The chicken's expressions throughout the story especially make it particularly enjoyable. Such a big misunderstanding. And at the end there is a nice, simple recipe for soup.
January 11, 2018
Very cute picture book! Especially if you need a laugh on a cold winter's day! Click here to place a hold on this book in the library catalog
February 13, 2018
Adorable, right down to Bear's soup recipe at the end, which little chefs can enjoy making with their parents. I also appreciated the author's brief note on black bears, which may inspire readers to seek out more factual info. on the topic.
February 23, 2018
This is how you build suspense in children’s books! The kids were so worried and I laughed at every page. In the end, there was a great (if predictable) little lesson. And there were so many fun things to notice in the pictures.
July 11, 2018
Here's another story featuring a predator/prey encounter wherein the prey fears he will become dinner. Cute one-liners ("the chicken simmered in suspicion") will make adults smile but, for the most part, go unnoticed by young children. A nice enough story but nothing special.
January 24, 2019
Bear goes off on a walk one day and finds Chicken, frozen and alone in the snow. Bear brings Chicken back to warm up and everything goes well until Chicken mistakenly thinks Bear will be having chicken soup for lunch.
A cute story with bright illustrations.
A cute story with bright illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews