Publication Date: January 25, 2011 | Age Level: 2 and up
When Mama Hen kisses her kids goodnight, she expects them to stay in bed. But those chicks...run...wild! They jump around and do cartwheels until Mama comes in and scolds them. But when she turns out the lights, the chicks start a pillow fight! Finally, Mama gets her chickies settled—but it turns out she’s not ready for bed, either….
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen’s playful rhymes and spunky attitude pair with Ward Jenkins’s exuberant artwork to make a family favorite for each and every bedtime.
PreSchool-Grade 2—Mama puts her five little chicks to bed, kisses them, and tucks them in. But once she leaves, it's party time. The noise from cartwheels and somersaults brings her back to warn her brood sternly that it's time to go back to bed. But once she closes the door, they're wreaking havoc in a pillow fight. This time Mama decides, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em, and in the process she outfoxes her youngsters and tires them out. Finally, she gets some serious "me" time and settles down in the living room to give herself a pedicure while surrounded by books, movies, and a cup of tea. The text in this short rhyming story gets singsongy at times, but the pencil and digitally painted illustrations carry the folksy tale in an able fashion. An entertaining selection for bedtime, the book will also combine well in presentations with other funny chicken stories, such as Janet Morgan Stoeke's "Minerva Louise" series (Dutton).—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Bedtime silliness abounds when these little chicks decide they’re not ready for sleep. Eventually, Mama realizes she’ll just have to tire them out herself. Weary parents may not appreciate this message, but young children will relate to the energetic chicks, who pop back into bed each time Mama checks on them and aren’t sure how to react when Mama changes her tactics, challenging them to invite her to play. The chicks are fluffy and appealing; Mama appears progressively more stern, as she looms larger in the doorway each time she must come back. Young listeners will quickly learn and want to repeat the refrain, set off in large type and curving above chicks jumping on the bed, somersaulting through the air, and whacking each other with pillows: “Those chicks run wild!” Grown-ups will enjoy the final scene, where “Mama runs wild,” painting her toenails red, having a cup of tea, and watching Gone with the Wing. Preschool-Grade 1. --Diane Foote
Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen never thought she'd grow up to be a writer. As a child, she thought of being a doctor (but she's afraid of blood), a lawyer (but she doesn't like losing arguments), a carpenter (but she's too clumsy), a model (but she likes eating too much), a presidential candidate (but she had a dissolute youth), a UN ambassador (the argument losing thing again)... almost everything but a writer.
In fact, in 2001, Sudipta was well on her way to not being a writer. She had graduated from the California Institute of Technology in 1998 with a BS in Biology, spent a year in Boston, and then had returned to Caltech as a PhD candidate in developmental biology. That's when she had her first child, Isabella. Bella's birth didn't change Sudipta's plans - she thought she'd take a long maternity leave then return to graduate school. Then, her daughter Brooklyn came along.
With two small children, Sudipta found herself less interested in biology as she was in parenting. And for the first time, she found that she had stories to tell, stories she wanted to share with her daughters, and she decided to try to get published. After a half-dozen rejections, in 2003, Sudipta sold her first story to a children's magazine, Highlights for Children.
Using her science background as a springboard, Sudipta began writing nonfiction for children, including Championship Science Fair Projects, Last Minute Science Fair Projects, AIDS, and Autism. She branched out into other nonfiction, including biographies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Jane Goodall, and altogether, Sudipta has written 18 nonfiction books for kids.
Her first love, however, was always picture books, so using a facility with word play and a love for animals (especially pigs), Sudipta worked on a number of manuscripts. Most of them were rejected (she freely admits, when she started writing picture books, they really stank!).
Sudipta kept at it, and fittingly, her first picture book, Tightrope Poppy, the High-Wire Pig, illustrated by Sarah Dillard, about a proud pig who perseveres was published in 2006. This was followed in 2007 by The Mine-o-saur, illustrated by David Clark, in 2008 by Ballots for Belva: The True Story of a Woman's Race for the Presidency, illustrated by Courtney Martin, and in 2009 by The Hog Prince, illustrated by Jason Wolff. Sudipta has nine other picture books scheduled for the next few years, including Pirate Princess, illustrated by Jill McElmurry, Half Pint Pete the Pirate, illustrated by Geraldo Valeria, and The Hampire, illustrated by Howard Fine. Her children, now including a son named Sawyer who was born in 2006, are a constant source of inspiration. Sudipta has heard the words "Mine! Mine! Mine!" shouted so many times that The Mine-o-saur almost flowed out of her mind naturally. Watching her daughters devour donuts inspired The Hampire, dress up playdates inspired Pirate Princess, and she refuses to admit what (or whose snoring) inspired Snoring Beauty.
As for The Hog Prince, well, any girl--including Sudipta--will tell you that you have to kiss a lot of hogs before you find what you want in life.
Sudipta visits schools to share her stories and experience, and teaches writing to children and adults. She lives in New Jersey with her family and an imaginary pony named Penny.
Mama Hen tucks each of her five little chicks into bed with fluffed up pillows and kisses. But when she leaves the room, the chicks run wild! They jump, play, dance. Even though they try to hide what they are doing from their mama, she figures it out. Again, she tries to tuck them into bed, but again they run wild when she leaves. Finally, she catches them in a wild pillow fight and that is when her response surprises the chicks. She offers to play with them! Now all of them go wild with dancing. The chicks get tired and beg to return to bed, so now is mama's turn to continue the wild evening in her own way.
Bardhan has written the book in a rollicking rhyme that is ideal for reading aloud. At times the rhythm of the verse can be clunky and the rhymes may be a stretch, but the attitude of the book more than makes up for these small issues. Her ultimately flexible parenting model in the book reminds all of us that sometimes rules are meant to be bent and broken.
Jenkins' illustrations are large and vibrant. They will work well with groups of children who will also enjoy their frenetic energy. The illustrations, done in pencil and painted digitally, have a great modern and cartoon feel that will appeal to young readers.
This book will wake up bedtime stories or it can be used to enliven spring story times. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
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Chicks Run Wild is a fabulous addition to any bed time book collection. The rhyming words, the illustrations and the silly things the chicks do, make this book one both kids and parents will enjoy. As a parent, any book that captures my children's attention and is engaging for them is a huge success.
I really enjoyed the mother hen. Not only did I relate to her in her numerous attempts to get her kids to stay in bed, but I liked her gentle reminder that it's okay to break your own rules and play with the kids for a few minutes, tiring them out more before putting them back into bed.
This is a delightful read and I'm looking forward to reading countless times before bedtime, and the laughs that will ensue from it.
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