The Chicken Cat [Hardcover]

Stephanie Simpson McLellan (Author), Sean Cassidy (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

The hero of this farmyard fantasy, Merlin, is not a typical kitten. No one knows who his natural mother is, but Guinevere, the oldest hen in the barn, is perfectly willing to take the frail kitten under her wing. Despite the genuine love that Guinevere showers on him, though, Merlin can_t grow and thrive on seeds and grains. When a little girl visits the farm, Guinevere grasps at the chance to give Merlin a home where he will be safe and cared for as a cat should be. Merlin never forgets the love Guinevere gave him and the debt he owes her. He longs to see her again and give her something in return. And when he finally returns to the farm, he is able to help Guinevere realize her dreams.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-3-In this disturbing tale, a shivering orange kitten is abandoned in an untidy barn where he is "adopted" by a kindly chicken. With little food or sunlight, Merlin fails to grow and thrive, but the two animals form a close bond. Guinevere even shares her dream of being able to fly with her sickly charge. Possible salvation for the starving feline appears in the form of a small African-American child looking for a pet. Guinevere grabs the kitten by the scruff of the neck and runs across the barnyard, dropping him at the little girl's feet (a journey so frightening that the delicate creature blacks out). She takes him home and fattens him up. The story ambles on to a fanciful conclusion: a strong, confident Merlin jumps out the window of his new home, spreads his feet, and flies to the barn to thank Guinevere for saving his life by teaching her to fly. While Cassidy's illustrations, rendered in watercolor, gouache, and colored pencil, add spirit to the tale, they cannot save this dark, muddled barnyard fantasy. Joan Rankin's You're Somebody Special, Walliwigs (McElderry, 1999), a story of an abandoned bird, has a brighter and more positive outcome, making it a more suitable choice for youngsters.
Cynde Marcen- gill, Horry County Memorial Library, Surfside Beach, SC
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Merlin is an abandoned kitten who comes to live in the barn. Guinevere the hen takes him under her wing. The start of this story, as hen and cat bond, is both funny and sweet. When Merlin is eventually adopted by a little girl, the story gets more convoluted. Merlin likes his new home, but he misses Guinevere, so he decides to learn the one thing she has always wanted to do--fly--which he does with remarkable ease. He takes his chicken-mom on a flight, but he returns to his new owner. Some listeners may be confused by this ending, especially because "Guinevere knows she had been born for Merlin, and Merlin had been born for her," a phrase repeated several times. What children will respond to are the affection the two feel for each other and Merlin's determined desire to fulfill Guinevere's dreams of flying. The sunny artwork, which veers between the realistic (the African American girl and her mother) and the slightly cartoonish (the hen) makes up for what the story lacks. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside; 1 edition (May 16, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 155041531X
• ISBN-13: 978-1550415315
• Product Dimensions: 9.7 x 9.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,472,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A delightful, fantasy picturebook story., September 19, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chicken Cat (Hardcover)

The Chicken Cat is a delightful fantasy picturebook tale about an old hen adopting a lost kitten. Stephanie McLellan's charming, entertaining story is wonderfully showcased by Sean Cassidy's lively and realistic artwork. The Chicken Cat will prove a welcome and popular addition to any school or community library picturebook collection for young readers!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars chicken cat, September 3, 2000

By 

roger setka (Kelowna, B.C> Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chicken Cat (Hardcover)

I have 8 grandchildren and am constsntly looking for books they will enjoy. What a pleasure Chicken Cat is! My grand children insist it be read constantly and the older ones read it to their younger siblings. They love the magic of it all and realise you can do anything you really want to.

I hope this author continues to provide us all with her imaginative stories. The illustrations are fun!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Tender Lesson in Love, April 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Chicken Cat (Hardcover)

This is a lovely story about the power, energy and wonder that love can create. It has been shortlisted for the 2001 Ruth Schwartz Award for Excellence in Canadian Children's Literature.