Mrs. Chicken and the hungry crocodile
(Book)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Published
New York : H. Holt, 2003.
ISBN
9780805070477, 0805070478, 9781250046734, 1250046734
Status

Description

When a crocodile captures Mrs. Chicken and takes her to an island to fatten her up, clever Mrs. Chicken claims that she can prove they are sisters and that, therefore, the crocodile shouldn't eat her.

Copies

LocationCall NumberStatus
Acorn Public Library District - Juvenile StacksJ 398.2 PAYOn Shelf
Batavia Public Library District - Juvenile DisplayJ 398.2096662 PAYOn display
Bensenville SD#2 - Johnson School - Picture BooksE PAYEOn Shelf
Bloomingdale Public Library - Juvenile Non-FictionJ 398.2 PAYOn Shelf
Chicago Heights Public Library - Juvenile StacksjE PayeOn Shelf
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More Details

Published
New York : H. Holt, 2003.
Format
Book
Physical Desc
1 volume (unpaged) : color illustrations ; 27 cm
Language
English
ISBN
9780805070477, 0805070478, 9781250046734, 1250046734
Accelerated Reader
LG
Level 2.3, 1 Points
Lexile code
AD
Lexile measure
470

Notes

General Note
Published in paperback: Square Fish, 2014.
General Note
"A version of this story was previously published in Why Leopard Has Spots: Dan Stories from Liberia by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert, illustrated by Ashley Bryan, by Fulcrum Publishing, Inc., Golden, Colorado, 1998."
Description
When a crocodile captures Mrs. Chicken and takes her to an island to fatten her up, clever Mrs. Chicken claims that she can prove they are sisters and that, therefore, the crocodile shouldn't eat her.
Target Audience
AD470L Lexile
Target Audience
Decoding demand: 72 (high) Semantic demand: 71 (high) Syntactic demand: 59 (medium) Structure demand: 76 (high) Lexile
Study Program Information
Accelerated Reader AR LG 2.3 0.5 70036.
Awards
Charlotte Zolotow Award Honor Book, 2004.

Published Reviews

Publisher's Weekly Review

The team behind Head, Body, Legs takes on another traditional Liberian tale likely to acquire the timeless patina of a classic. All of the staple ingredients come into play here: animals that mirror human traits, a veiled threat and a happy ending. But the collaborators add a generous dash of modern sparkle with wonderful characterizations and language that echoes oral storytelling. The savvy Mrs. Chicken, rendered as a symphony of oranges and reds, stripes and polka dots, steals the show. Captured by a ravenous crocodile and imprisoned in the predator's island home, she manages to avoid appearing as the entree by insisting they are sisters. Her obtuse captor, whose scales appear as a quilt of riverbed greens and browns, is incredulous ("You're not my sister. You have speckled feathers. I have green skin. You have a beak. I have a mouth with sharp teeth") but gives the captive a chance to prove herself. Mrs. Chicken hatches a clever plan that spares her life and results in a comical conclusion. Paschkis's fluid, graphic illustrations recall cave drawings and Matisse's cut-outs. She visually sets up the conflict between the two protagonists as Mrs. Chicken peers into the river and sees a green scaly image instead of her own, and later hints at the feathered heroine's plan with precisely arranged compositions of the two characters, each guarding her eggs, against a jet-black background. Readers young and old will cluck with delight. Ages 3-7. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

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School Library Journal Review

PreS-Gr 3-Narcissistic Mrs. Chicken, not satisfied with the small reflection she can see in a puddle, makes her way to the river where a hungry predator lies in wait. Seeing Crocodile instead of herself in the water, she is amazed by what she thinks is her new appearance and turns this way and that while the wily reptile mirrors her movements. When Mrs. Chicken steps into the river for a closer look, Crocodile quickly catches her and takes her home to eat. But the fowl turns out to be clever enough to concoct an egg-switching scheme that convinces Crocodile that they are sisters, and Mrs. Chicken eventually wins freedom for herself and her offspring. Told in straightforward language, this trickster tale is smart and funny. The story, which comes from the Dan people of Liberia, previously appeared in the retellers' Why Leopard Has Spots (Fulcrum, 1998), and this newly illustrated version is perfect for a younger audience. The stylized, gouache artwork is strong and streamlined, and not bogged down with detail. Curving lines depict the river, white backgrounds represent the outdoors, and glossy black delineates Crocodile's lair, which is decorated with geometric borders. The layout is effective, with parts of the reptile's body often extending off the page to insinuate size. The flat paintings recall folk art, and Crocodile's checkerboard skin reflects the patterns found in her home. This delectable offering will be a hit in storytime.-Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough Public Library System, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Horn Book Review

(Primary) This trio of collaborators (Head, Body, Legs, rev. 5/02) presents another lighthearted folktale from the Dan people of Liberia. Mrs. Chicken can't fully admire herself in her usual bathing puddle, so she heads ""down to the river to get a better look."" Puzzled by her strange reflection (""Hmm...I see scaly green legs. And a long mouth with sharp teeth""), she moves closer and ends up caught by Crocodile, who's been lying in the river waiting to grab some dinner. Back at Crocodile's house, quick-thinking Mrs. Chicken claims the two are sisters, and therefore Crocodile can't possibly eat her. Crocodile agrees to give the hen time to prove her absurd statement, and both settle down with their eggs. This well-paced narrative follows a familiar folkloric arc (smaller, cleverer animal outsmarts stronger, pointy-toothed predator), which helps mitigate the tension of Mrs. Chicken's predicament. The animated gouache paintings, featuring simple, bold shapes and uncluttered, geometric patterns (perfect for sharing in a group) extend the story's humor and give the characters personality. When the two sets of eggs hatch, Crocodile is shocked to see that her babies look just like Mrs. Chicken, while Mrs. Chicken's babies, with their ""gorgeous green skin"" and ""lovely long mouths,"" look just like Crocodile. Of course, they must be sisters. And in the spirit of sisterly love, Mrs. Chicken offers to switch her green babies for Crocodile's ""funny-looking"" ones. Story-hour audiences will enjoy being in on Mrs. Chicken's egg-swapping trick, and storytellers will find plenty to work with in this wryly told tale. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Paye, W., Lippert, M. H., & Paschkis, J. (2003). Mrs. Chicken and the hungry crocodile (First edition.). H. Holt.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Paye, Won-Ldy, Margaret H. Lippert and Julie Paschkis. 2003. Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile. New York: H. Holt.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Paye, Won-Ldy, Margaret H. Lippert and Julie Paschkis. Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile New York: H. Holt, 2003.

Harvard Citation (style guide)

Paye, W., Lippert, M. H. and Paschkis, J. (2003). Mrs. chicken and the hungry crocodile. First edn. New York: H. Holt.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Paye, Won-Ldy., Margaret H Lippert, and Julie Paschkis. Mrs. Chicken and the Hungry Crocodile First edition., H. Holt, 2003.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

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