Review: Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise by David Ezra Stein

9780763688424

$16.99

It’s homework time for the little red chicken, who has just learned about something every good story should have: an elephant of surprise. Or could it be an element of surprise (as her amused papa explains)? As they dive in to story after story, looking for the part that makes a reader say “Whoa! I didn’t know that was going to happen,” Papa is sure he can convince Chicken he’s right. After all, there are definitely no elephants in “The Ugly Duckling,” “Rapunzel,” or “The Little Mermaid” — or are there? Elephant or element, something unexpected awaits Papa in every story, but a surprise may be in store for the little red chicken as well. Full of the same boisterous charm that made Interrupting Chicken so beloved by readers, this gleeful follow-up is sure to delight fans of stories, surprises, and elephants alike.

Chicken reminds me here of a certain little girl who MUST be right about everything, even when she is clearly wrong. Stein's original Interrupting Chicken is a staple here, as in most libraries, so I was excited when I saw this title. Personalities are the same, but the concept is different enough to be fresh. The blue cartoonish elephant jumps out from the otherwise old-fashioned, somewhat sepia story illustrations, allowing even small readers to point him (her?) out and say "there it is!"

My only qualms with this are that the traditional fairy tales, while just an excerpt of each, are a bit wordy for a read-aloud. I found myself skipping to the last lines of those, to get to the expected elephant. And since it was expected, was it really an elephant of surprise?  An elephant of silliness, at any rate, and that never goes wrong in a children's book.

***This book has been nominated for a Cybils Award. I am just one of many judges in this category, and my opinion should not be construed to mean inclusion on or exclusion from the final short list.

What We're Reading

We really have been reading for the Summer Reading Program...well, the kids have, anyway...Mom just hasn't had time to post anything about it, let alone read much for herself! These are the picture books I have had to read a million times this week:

E Nedw

Emily is serious. Duck is not. S. is fascinated. A very cute read-aloud, though, so I'm not tired of it. Yet. Lee White's illustrations are adorable, I love the way duck's facial features don't always stay on his face. I imagine it must be hard to give a duck expressions at all, but this is one joyful waterfowl.

E Shan

This is C.'s current favorite - and it's probably no small coincidence that this is the David Shannon of the "No, David!" books. We had fun tonight with a just-Mommy-and-C story time, comparing the toys Spencer has with the ones C. has. Not to mention all the places they can be found...

(not at the library yet)

Joey can't resist exploring the world, but it's good to have the safety of mama's pouch to go back to. Very simple and cute, for some reason the kids all think this one is hysterical!

E Reis

You just can't beat David Catrow for facial expressions. Another easy read-aloud that we will be using for story time later this year. The lesson is obvious from the start, but delivered in a humorous, non-heavy-handed way. And there's fudge involved. I feel the need for an extension activity.

These are all 'old' books from the library's collection or ours, but we should have some new titles to share soon - the new fiscal year has begun, and I just finished cataloging the first children's order! If you're local, come check out the new books shelf - but be quick, about half of them checked out this morning!