Dear readers,
This week I read a wonderful book called
Interrupting Chicken (2010). This is
a fictional picture book written and illustrated by David Ezra Stein. In 2011, Interrupting
Chicken was noted as a Caldecott Honor book, which means it was considered one
of the most distinguished picture books of the year.
Stein created vibrant illustrations
to complement his hilarious story about a little chicken who could not stop
interrupting her bedtime story. The characters of Little Chicken and Papa
really come alive through the illustrations. Several beloved classic children’s
books are featured within the story, but Papa can’t get through any of them
without being interrupted!
This is one of my favorite books to
read in the first few weeks of school. It encourages children to think about
interrupting and the effects it has on conversations and read-alouds. We always
have great discussions about some of the better choices than interrupting, and
it can be helpful to make an anchor chart of these. To get that discussion
going, you can ask questions like “What happens as a result of Little Chicken
interrupting?”, or “Turn and talk to your elbow partner about a better choice she
could have made.” This book also complements character education lessons on the
virtue of self-control.
I recommend reading Interrupting Chicken. It’s a fun story,
and is available in several different formats, including (my favorite) a big
book.
Happy reading!
Mrs. Ingersoll
