Book Review of Cranky Chicken
The Children’s Book Review

Written and Illustrated by Katherine Battersby

Ages 6-9 | 116 Pages

Publisher: Simon and Schuster | ISBN-13: 9781534469884

What to Expect: Friendship, positive emotions, creativity, growth mindset.

Who would want to be friends with a cranky chicken? A speedy worm, that’s who! Speedy Worm thinks Cranky Chicken is the most amazing friend ever – even though Cranky Chicken doesn’t want to talk … play … wear matching shirts … hold hands… sing… or even arm wrestle! In fact, it turns out that Cranky Chicken and Speedy Worm are BFFs (Best Feathered Friends) – whether Cranky Chicken likes it or not! And that’s just as well because, as Cranky Chicken discovers, having a best friend is a lot of fun.

Written and illustrated by the critically acclaimed Katherine Battersby, Cranky Chicken is funny and heart-warming at the same time. Speedy Worm’s insistent cheerfulness makes a side-splitting foil for the introverted Chicken, and readers will enjoy seeing how these two very different personalities learn to love one another. At the same time, the story embodies important messages about positive thinking, accommodating others, and learning to embrace growth and change. Sketchy comic-book-style illustrations in bright primary colors help readers develop their visual and verbal literacy—not to mention a fascinating study of just how much personality a single, line-drawn eyebrow can convey.

Overall, Cranky Chicken is witty, touching, and thoroughly enjoyable.

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About the Author-Illustrator

Katherine Battersby is the critically acclaimed children’s author and illustrator of two chapter books and twelve picture books, including Perfect Pigeons and Squish Rabbit, a CBC Children’s Choice Book. Her picture books have also been shortlisted for numerous Australian awards, including the CBCA Awards for New Illustrator and Book of the Year. Katherine lives in Ottawa, Canada.

Visit her at KatherineBattersby.com.

Cranky Chicken was reviewed by Dr. Jen Harrison. Discover more books like Cranky Chicken by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Beginning Readers and Bob Books.