The Plot Chickens [Paperback]

Mary Jane Auch (Author), Herm Auch (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Henrietta loves to read. When she clucks buk, buk, buk at the library, the librarian knows exactly what to recommend. Then Henrietta decides to write a book. With the help of her three aunties, she hatches a plot. But when Henrietta publishes her story, the critics say she's laid an egg! Is this the end of Henrietta's career as an author?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2—Henrietta the chicken, star of Souperchicken (Holiday House, 2003), is an avid library user and decides that because reading is so much fun, "writing books must be eggshilarating." She finds a manual of writing rules and creates her own story-with the unsolicited help of the other fowl. When it is rejected by a publisher, Henrietta decides to self-publish. She takes a copy to her librarian, who tells her to send it to The Corn Book Magazine for review. Henrietta gets another rejection: "odoriferous." Then she wanders into the library at storytime and sees that her book was chosen best of the year by the children. Henrietta is asked to read it aloud. "She read with dramatic expression. Of course, all the children heard was BUK, BUK, BUK…." The illustrations, a combination of oil paints and digital technology, are bold and colorful. The pictures are busy, with Henrietta at her typewriter while her friends cavort around her. There are imagined scenes in cloud shapes, word balloons, and jokes aplenty. A droll chicken with a repeating line adds to the humor. This offering works on two levels. It's a funny picture book that could be used as a manual on writing.—Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Library Binding edition.

Review

"Henrietta decides that 'writing books must be eggshilarating'....It's a funny picture book that could be used as a manual on writing." (School Library Journal ) --School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Holiday House; Reprint edition (July 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823423077
• ISBN-13: 978-0823423071
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #21,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Farm Animals > Fiction
  • #32 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Farm Animals

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars PLENTY OF CLUCKS AND CHUCKLES IN THIS STORY !, May 15, 2009

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Plot Chickens (Library Binding)

Few young readers have been able to resist the smile provoking poultry series created by the husband/wife team of Mary Jane and Herb Auch. Titles such as Peeping Beauty, Superchicken and Egg Marks the Spot have won the Auchs a host of fans. The Plot Chickens is sure not only to delight those familiar with these stories but garner many new followers.

Henrietta, our favorite pop-eyed chicken, loves books, so she goes to the library to find some books to read to the other chickens in the coop. Next, Henrietta decides that if reading is so much fun writing a book must be even more enjoyable. As she begins to type her story (hunt and peck system, of course) young readers will learn the seven cardinal rules of creating a story from finding a main character to developing a plot to making your story come alive by using all five senses.
Writing isn't Henrietta's only skill, she also decides to make her own books. Of course, Mary Jane Auch's wonderfully colorful illustrations will bring many smiles. So, The Plot Chickens is an opportunity for young readers to both laugh and learn.

- Gail Cooke

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!, May 21, 2009

By 

SpedtchrAz (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Plot Chickens (Library Binding)

I collect anything written by Mary Jane Auch, especially her childrens' picture books. However, I love "The Plot Chickens" so much I would have bought this book no matter who wrote it. The story is charming and teaches about writing in a distinctly kid-friendly way, the illustration are outstanding and eye-catching. As a grandparent I've found my grandchildren love this book and ask me to read it to them over and over. As an educator (I'm a Special Education teacher) I am fast finding that "The Plot Chickens" is becoming a key book that I use in teaching my students not only to write, but to love writing. In fact, I'm developing a lesson plan to submit to WritingFix.com (a site for teachers on teaching writing) using "The Plot Chickens."

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Worth it for the illustrations, October 8, 2010

By 

Dienne (Cicero, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Plot Chickens (Paperback)

Is this supposed to be a kid's book, or some kind of inside joke among writers? By the time most "kids" are old enough to understand the jokes knocking publishers and reviewers, they're long past kids' books. Actual kids - the ones this book is ostensibly aimed at - are likely to be pretty baffled.

Anyway, the book opens promisingly. Henrietta the chicken loves to read, she gets books from the library and reads to her aunts, and then she decides to write her own book.

Following a guide called "Writing Rules", Henrietta, with some rather unwelcome help from her aunts, writes a story. While the rules may be good so far as they go, the story Henrietta creates is, in the words of her reviewer, "odiferous". I can't suspend my disbelief enough to believe that the story time children voted it their favorite. It really does stink. Perhaps "Writing Rules" should add a ninth rule: "Make your story interesting".

I was also disappointed by the humor in the book. The title is so clever, I was expecting more of the same, but, sadly, most of the puns are just variations on substituting "eggs" for "ex" (e.g., "eggshilarating"). And, as noted, the pages dealing with submitting the story for publication, getting rejected, and the review I just found baffling and rather out of place in a children's book.

The problem with self-consciously writing about writing, especially for children, and especially if you are trying to be clever, is that it has to be really well done. I just didn't think this book met that mark. For a better example, read "A Book" by Mordecai Gerstein.

The writing alone would have earned this book two stars, in my estimation, but I gave it three because the illustrations are genuinely excellent (or, perhaps "eggscellent"). They are clear, colorful and engaging, and they add a bit of the humor that is missing in the writing.

Check this book out from the library if your child is around seven or eight. They may enjoy the corny puns once or twice and they may be inspired to write their own story. But I doubt many kids will want to return to this over and over.