Lulu the Big Little Chick [Hardcover]

Paulette Bogan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 2009 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Lulu the little chicken is sick of being told she's too little to do things...so she decides to run away where no one will tell her what to do. And when the horse, and sheep and cow and everyone seem to get in her way, it only makes her more determined. But when she finally gets far far away, what happens when a loud crow scares her? Next time, she'll take her momma with her!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2—Fed up with the restrictions that come with being so small, Lulu decides to leave the farm. With her pink purse and striped scarf, she passes the pigs, where she is quickly splashed with mud. She ventures on, entering the sheep pen. Her journey continues as she meets a horse and a cow, her anxiety growing with each encounter. Once the little chick finally reaches "far, far away," she is paralyzed with fear and mother hen swoops in. It becomes apparent that far away was never beyond mother's watchful eye. Just as in the author's Goodnight Lulu (Bloomsbury, 2003), large and bright watercolor-and-ink illustrations fill the pages, making this a great choice for group sharing. Small details abound and encourage a closer look at the background. Team this up with Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny (HarperCollins, 1942) and Harry Horse's Little Rabbit Runaway (Peachtree, 2005) for a storytime on fleeing youngsters.—Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ
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From Booklist

Lulu of Goodnight, Lulu (2003) is a little chick who doesn’t like being reminded of that fact. Maybe she should go far, far away, where others wouldn’t see her as too small to do things. She does, but at every turn there’s a pig, sheep, or horse telling her to stay put (after almost stepping on her because she’s so small). None of that stops Lulu, but when she finally gets away, she finds out her animal friends have a point. Humor abounds in both the story and the watercolor-and-ink art (especially the animal close-ups), and though the plot may be familiar, it is still heartfelt. Preschool-Kindergarten. --Ilene Cooper

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1 edition (June 23, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599903431
• ISBN-13: 978-1599903439
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,130,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paulette graduated from Parsons School of Design in New York City in 1983, (first spending a couple of years at the University Of Miami in Florida, honing her water skiing skills.) and then became a freelance illustrator. Actually, first she became a waitress at Blazing Salads, THEN she became a freelance illustrator.

Paulette has been an illustrator for twenty-five years and has illustrated for many publications including: The New York Times, Ladies Home Journal, Business Week, Scholastic Magazines, Publisher's Weekly, United Features Syndicate, Newsday, as well as many others. She also taught illustration concepts at Parsons School of Design, her alma mater.

After the birth of her first child, Paulette decided it was time for a career shift. With the encouragement of her mother and her husband, Charlie, she decided to try her hand at children's books. After taking classes, going to children's book conferences, another daughter, and basically driving everyone crazy, she finally got her first book!

Spike was published by G. P Putnam's Sons. Spike is about a loveable dog, who is tired of being a dog! Paulette then went on to have a third child, and write and illustrate several more books for Putnam.

Spike In The City was honored with the Children's Book Council Children's Choice Award 2001, and was chosen by the Society Of Illustrators, to be in their Children's Book, Original Art Show, 2000. Spike In The Kennel was a 2002 IRA-CBC Children's Choice. In 2003 Spike gets blamed for things he didn't do in Spike In Trouble! As a child Paulette often got blamed for things she did not do!

Goodnight Lulu, a children's book of the month selection, published by Bloomsbury Children's Books came out in 2003. In Goodnight Lulu it's time for bed and Lulu, the little chicken is worried. With lots of questions and humor, Momma convinces Lulu that there's nothing to be afraid of! In 2004, Momma's Magical Purse was published. Momma Cat shows that all mothers really do have everything in their purse, including a rescue kit!

In 2005 Paulette teamed up with author Aaron Reynolds and illustrated Chicks and Salsa, a Book Sense Children's Pick. Chicks and Salsa is a hilarious picture book about one rooster's quest for culinary delight! Before you know it, the chickens, pigs, and the ducks, under the rooster's guidance, are planning a Fiesta. Chicks and Salsa is featured on the PBS Children's Show, Between the Lions!

Chicks and Salsa was such a success that Aaron wrote another story involving the crafty rooster, Buffalo Wings, (October 2007). In Buffalo Wings, Paulette portrays the rooster's quest for the perfect game time snack with colorful, hilarious illustrations, lots of action, and of course "the mouse". (You Chicks and Salsa fans know who I mean!)


Paulette's newest book for Bloomsbury is Lulu the Big Little Chick. Lulu, of Goodnight Lulu fame, decides she is a big chick regardless of what anyone else on the farm thinks. She heads off on her own towards "far, far away", and soon discovers being "big" is not all it is cracked up to be. Lulu The Big Little Chick was published on June 23, 2009. Lulu The Big Little Chick won the Children's Choice Book Award in the Kindergarten to Second grade category in 2010!!!

Paulette Bogan lives in New York City where she can be seen walking around the village with her magical purse. She lives with her husband, their three daughters, and their Portuguese water dog, Spikey. Paulette is known for her lively presentations in schools and bookstores that thoroughly engage children AND she can draw the fastest chicken in New York City! It's also been said Paulette draws the fastest pig in all of Brooklyn.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Chick with Pluck! Another Entertaining Book from Paulette Bogan, November 7, 2009

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lulu the Big Little Chick (Paperback)

Impeccably crafted and stylishly illustrated, Lulu is the imaginative brainchild of author/illustrator Paulette Bogan. I initially saw her work in the "Chicks and Salsa," in which her illustrations added pizzazz to a zany barnyard caper. Here, Bogan is both author and illustrator, and her spare, straight style is an effective counterpoint to her boldly realized animal portraits, exaggerated just enough to impart character and personality--a signature style for this very talented illustrator.

Young chicken Lulu, tired of hearing that she is too "climb the big fence" or "play in the cornfield," declares that she is leaving home, by herself, to go "far, far, away." Momma Hen calmly bids her chicklet goodbye rather than battling her. One gets the feeling that Mama is wiser than your usual mother hen, and has some experience with youthful cravings (and that human parents could learn a thing or two from her).

Lulu, wearing nothing but a red and black scarf (!) and carrying a small traveling bag, begins her trek to the "far far away." Her first stop is the pig sty, where one mischievous piglet "accidently" splashes her with mud. In a wonderful two-page spread, we see mud-spattered Lulu against a sea of snout-faced swine laying around like a pig mélange. It's unpleasant for Lulu, but very funny for the reader. There are similar unsuccessful encounters with even larger animals: sheep who almost crush her, and a horse and a cow who tell her what she least wants to hear: "You are too little to go far, far away." The cow even laughs at her with a big, bovine "Ha!" At this point, I felt a little sorry for Lulu; there's an air of defeat, as if her dreams were too big for her size. As a cautionary tale, this works, but, rooting as I do for the under-chicken, I wanted Lulu to show them all that she could do it!

Yet, there is a healthy realism, as Lulu realizes she finally is "too, too far away now," and she begins to realize that maybe there was some thought behind Mom's earlier statement (Lulu, you are too little to go far, far away from me"). Lulu, scared and getting more scared with the approaching night see something swoop over head with an unrecognized "CAW" sound. She's is very relieved to find that her mother (who we suspect has been secretly following along--as well as two big-hearted pigs who we see on every page), is right beside that scary (but friendly) crow, and Mom scoops her up in her arms. You can SEE the love in their eyes; even the two pigs who've been following Lulu are all smiles. There's also a heartwarming ending, as tender and touching as you'll find in any great kids' book:

"Momma," said Lulu.
"Yes, my love," sid Momma.
"Momma, next time I go far, far away, I will take you with me."

The latter is said with excitement by the undaunted Lulu, who feels a sort of triumph after the earlier slights and indignities. I was happy for her. Paulette Bogan triumphs as well, with a funny, exciting, and loving book about the duality of adventure and safety, of big and small. In a way, it depends on perspective, and Bogan penultimate illustration reveals that, for all her real fear, Lulu never really traveled out of eyesight of her home--it just felt that way. Ms. Bogan has produced one of my favorite books of the year in this epic tale of small proportions.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THERE'S A LOT TO LIKE ABOUT LULU !, November 1, 2009

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lulu the Big Little Chick (Paperback)

Filled with comical illustrations that bring smiles and a story that teaches a valuable lesson there's a lot to like about LULU THE BIG LITTLE CHICK. Author/illustrator Bogan fills pages with bold whimsical illustrations that capture and hold young eyes, such as smiling hens happy in their hen house reading a book and knitting. More farm animals include docile, furry sheep in need of shearing, pudgy pink pigs, and an outsize cow.

Very much like other youngsters Lulu doesn't like being the littlest chick on the farm. She doesn't like being told all the thing she cannot do because she's so small - she cannot lay eggs, she cannot climb the big fence, she cannot play in the cornfield. All of that was difficult for her to take. However when Momma said, "Lulu, you are too little to go very far from me...," Lulu decided that wasn't true and she was going "far, far away."

Little did she know where "far, far away" was or what she might find there. Youngsters will be surprised by her adventures and undoubtedly realize along with Lulu that home is the best place to be.

Highly recommended to remind young ones that they will grow in time and go to other places but meanwhile it's best to stay safe at home.

- Gail Cooke

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Big Little, November 2, 2010

By 

Catherine W. Hughes (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Lulu the Big Little Chick (Hardcover)

Little Lulu, a chick, dreams of being big and traveling far, far, away. She leaves the barn and travels by the pig sty and the sheep pen, all the way to the horse and cow pasture. But as Lulu reaches the farthest edge of the farm, she starts to want to be back at the barn with her Momma and the other chicks. Just then, her Momma comes to the rescue, promising to bring Lulu with her the next time she goes far away. Children ages 2-5 will love this story of growing independence.