Henny Penny

by H. Werner Zimmermann

Henny Penny and her friends are on their way to tell the king that the sky is falling when they meet a hungry fox

Genres: Picture Books, Fiction, Animals, Spanish Literature, Childrens, Animal Fiction, Friendship

28 pages, Library Binding

First published August 1, 1989

About the author

H. Werner Zimmermann was born in Austria but grew up in southern Ontario, Canada. He writes and illustrates his own picture books, and also illustrates books for other authors.

Reviews

[Anna Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story that warns about the danger, hysteria and singlemindedness that is fear and the folly (death) that results in identifying with it.

Henny Penny was one book that stuck in my memory. Compelled by the fear that the sky was falling in, Henny Penny and several other pals that she picks up along the way (willing disciples of fear) scramble to tell the king. Their 'fear folly' causes them to fall into the trap of the crafty fox; Foxy Loxy, who eats them one by one!!! Henny Penny and pals are never seen again!!! - Dead as a door post they are!!

Despite the fact that we don't see them getting eaten, the reversal of good triumphing over evil makes quite a statement and a compelling example for the command; FEAR NOT!

Henny Penny is not for the faint hearted I'd imagine but not a bad one to throw into the mix - PG reccommended I guess : )

[Alon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked how everybody joined Henny Penny, and then the fox ate them. That's what I think, but I'm not really sure, because the book said they were just never seen again. Maybe they just got lost and didn't have enough food and died, that's why they were never seen again. But I think the fox ate them. (Alon, 8)

[Chinook · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a solid telling of the Chicken Little story and because Kait’s kindergarten class acted this out (she was Goosey Loosey), she really enjoys revisiting it.

[Pactic Grace · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is very inappropriate for sensitive preschoolers.
The story is dark and frightening and meaningless.
Make sure you read the story first before show it to your little ones!

[Kaylee Harkness · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started cute and took a sharp and dark turn that my kids and I were not quite expecting!

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maddie’s weekly reading homework. She was funny with her distrust of the fox.

[William Crosby]

continuing to read spanish books at the library to supplement my duolingo learning; still only at the children's book level

[Kevin Denizard · Rating 5 out of 5]

1)no awards
2)pre-k- 3rd grade
3) This story takes the age-old story of Chicken Little and adds a rhyming twist to it with the name of its characters The story will also surprise readers with its twist of an ending.
4) I love the rhyming in each of the animals names. It gave the story a certain charm. The ending also took me for quite a surprise.
5) teach children basic word rhyming, also can teach children not to trust strangers

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story about Henny Penny, a chicken who thought that the sky was falling when an acorn dropped onto her head. Along the way, she convinced other animals that they sky is falling and they run along until they meet up with a wily fox who promised them safety. Great illustrations.

[EDUC535 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Danielle M.

In Henny Penny, Henny Penny is convinced that the sky is falling. Henny Penny is going to tell the King but not without the help with the friends she meets along the way...

This story is a great way to work on rhyming. Each friend that Henny Penny runs into on her way to see the King has a name that rhymes. These rhyming names in this story are very funny for the students to say and listen to. This books works well for a read aloud because the rhyming names can be heard during the read aloud.

The only undesirable thing about this book is the ending and the grim fate of Henny Penny and her friends.

[Nashiea Edmiston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book is written in Spanish, about a chicken who assumes the sky is falling when an acorn falls from the tree and clonks her on the head. Pollita Chiquita (small chicken) then begins her journey to tell the king that the sky is falling, creating a following of other worriers along the way! The end is a bit sad when they encounter a sly fox or takes advantage of the situation but the moral of the story here is that you shouldn't be an alarmist! Enjoyed the book, simple, a bit repetitive, but kids will enjoy it.

[Angela Moorer]

Henny Penny is the cutest character!!! Henny Penny and her friends on their quest to tell the king "the sky is falling" is sure to have young children laughing. This text has a rhyming element to it (all the character's names) and students can make their own rhyming characters and make their own silly story. Also, the ordinal system used in the text can make a great math lesson for kindergarteners and first grade students.

[Tuyet Tran · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great start for emergent readers. Henny Penny thinks that the sky is falling. How silly. She gathers all of her friends to go tell the King, but they are all fall into a sly Fox's trap.The names are rhyming and this story will shock the students at the end. Students will definitely engaged in this story.

[Tara Mensing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henny penny is a goofy book with the traditional story line of "the sky is falling". The book is repetitive for younger children to be able to predict what happens next but the story ends grimly as Henny Penny is eaten by the Fox. Still, this is a quick read for a bed time story or read aloud in class and can be used for a compare and contrast with Chicken Little.

[Michelleawagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a kids' book. My son really likes it, but I find the ending to be kind of ...morbid. Henny Penny, Turkey Lurkey, Ducky Lucky, and the other birds get eaten by Foxy Loxy. the style of the storytelling follows the Dr. Suess lineup, however, the ending probably does not.

[Alycia Boyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chicken feels something and thinks the sky is falling. She alerts her friends and they decide to find the king and tell him. They see the fox and never are heard from again. Good book for sequencing and rhyming, and cute twist on chicken little.

[Alison Tripp · Rating 3 out of 5]

A more violent version of Chicken Little. This would be a good contrasting book but some children might find the ending a bit scary. Good for predicting if they have been studying animals and habits. Short sentence structure lends itself well to Literacy center activities.

[Katie Williams]

I believe this book would be good for beginning or emerging readers. The names of the animals rhyme, so it can easier for young children to read. One could do a sequencing lesson by having students read the book and put the events in order after.

[Kasmarine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The sky is falling! The sky is falling. I must go tell the King."
is a classic nonsense folktale about the guile Henny Penny and her friends who ended their lives in the Foxy Loxy's tummy.
I think this is a great story to teach about lying and speaking with stranger.
and other subjects as well.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little story with fun rhyming animal names, including Goosey Loosey (close to a nickname we have for our daughter). As always with animal books, it seems the fox comes in at the end with his devious scheming!

[Mary Isho · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is great for a read aloud. A great discussion after reading the book could be teaching children about strangers and trusting the right people. I liked the goofy names in the book such as turkey lurkey, kids love that stuff. Sad ending

[krym · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know it is a fable but it gave me the creeps when they all entered the cave!!! The world is such a cruel place if you go about blindly. So true but I want my children to always see the beauty of this world first.

[Airiel Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good for its repetition and its use of rhyming!

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think book is good for a lesson on rhyming and sequencing. Also, the repeating lines in this book allow the students to predict what is coming next.

[Tiffanni Dean]

Discussing sequencing for semantics cues.

[Rebekah Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book has good rhythm to the text. I did not like the end. It was a sad ending and the sky was not even falling in the first place.

[Dobby Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry penny and his company ruins at the end of this book. Poor and silly animals. Keep watch and do not follow and believe anything easily, especially if that is only within a circle.

[Charlesbarnes]

This story is a folk tale with a moral in the form of a cumulative tale about a chicken who believes the world is coming to an end because an acorn falls from the sky and hits her on the head. She says, "The sky is falling."