Daily children’s book recommendations and events from Anita Silvey.
Discover the stories behind the children’s book classics . . .
The new books on their way to becoming classics . . .
And events from the world of children’s books—and the world at large.
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From March 22–28, we celebrate World Folk Tales and Fables Week, established to encourage children and adults to explore the lessons learned from folk tales and fables. Although folk and fairy tales form the basis of world literature and culture, adults have often questioned introducing them to children. After all, the material in these legends is often dark and violent. But if children don’t learn these basic building blocks of literature, they cannot read or appreciate much adult literature later on.
Folk and fairy tale retellings formed a large portion of books published for children in the 1970s and 1980s, but have since fallen out of favor. Fortunately in the last few years, individual volumes dedicated to the world’s most enduring stories have proliferated, giving those who work with children a wide range of choices. Though our book of the day won’t teach children any of these tales, it may well pique their curiosity and make them want to go back to the original stories.
The protagonist of David Ezra Stein’s Interrupting Chicken, a Caldecott Honor Book, is a little red chicken who adores having her rooster father read her a bedtime story. Although he admonishes her not to interrupt his readings of “Hansel and Gretel,” she just can’t help warning the characters in the story. She tells Hansel and Gretel to stay away from the witch—and immediately proclaims the story is over. She does the same with “Little Red Riding Hood” and “Chicken Little.” Finally this girl makes up her own story, which sends her father to sleep.
Humor, personal relationships, and the loving bond between a father and child all get explored in this funny picture book that can be used for the two- to eleven-year-old crowd. Illustrated with vibrant watercolors capturing the action and passion of the young chicken, Interrupting Chicken has already become the favorite story of many picture-book readers. But do not ignore my warning. Once Interrupting Chicken is read to your four, five, or six year old, you will be asked to read it again, and again—and again!
Here’s a page from Interrupting Chicken:
Other books for this day
Also recommended:
- Pouch! by David Ezra Stein
- Leaves by David Ezra Stein
Additional Information
A few other events for
- Happy birthday Lynne Barasch (First Come the Zebra, Hiromi’s Hands).
- It’s the birth date of Eleanor Cameron (1912–1996), A Room Made of Windows, The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet.
- It’s National Puppy Day! Read Pigeon Wants a Puppy by Mo Willems.