The Cranky Chicken collection by Katherine Battersby includes three hilarious stories — Cranky Chicken, Cranky Chicken: Party Animals, and the newest title — Cranky Chicken: Crankosaurus. The collection follows two unlikely friends — a persistent, positive little worm, and a very cranky chicken. From their initial meeting through to their wild daily adventures together, each book in the collection offers a ton of amusement and laughter to the reader.
The books are all presented in a “speech bubble” format for reading, which really helps to bring the silliness of the stories to life. We had lots of fun reading each character’s parts in a specific voice to suit them! Coupled with the equally hilarious illustrations, the stories are visually appealing, engaging, and help to capture and hold the attention of young listeners or early readers alike. There are also examples of perseverance, encouragement, and positivity throughout as the friends help one another to face their fears, and to experience new things. While they may be an unlikely duo, Speedy and Cranky Chicken certainly bring out the best in one another throughout the stories. The humorous tales are incredibly entertaining for readers of all ages, and they are a particularly wonderful addition to an elementary aged child’s collection.
Katherine Battersby is the critically acclaimed children’s author and illustrator of a number of children’s books, including the Cranky Chicken series, Perfect Pigeons, and Squish Rabbit, a CBC Children’s Choice Book. Her books have received glowing reviews in The New York Times and starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and have been shortlisted for numerous Australian awards. Katherine lives in Ottawa, Canada. Visit her at KatherineBattersby.com.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (Aug 1, 2023)
Hardcover 8″ x 6″ | 348 pages (box set)
Ages 6-8
ISBN: 9781665937856
Melanie is the Children's Book reviewer at The Miramichi Reader. She is a mother to two young children Adeline (5 years) and Harlow (3 years). She has a Bachelor of Health Science from Dalhousie University and previously worked as a Radiological Technologist before deciding to pursue a career in health insurance administration. She enjoys sewing, crafting, and going on adventures with her family. Having lived in all three maritime provinces, Melanie now raises her daughters with her husband in Moncton, NB.