A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken

by Hannah Holt, Korwin Briggs (Illustrator)

Overview

Packed with information, hilariously but accurately (well...except for the chickens) illustrated, Hannah Holt and Korwin Briggs' A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken is sure to wedge its way into the annals of history-based picture books.

From Paleolithic loincloths to Henry VIII's wives wearing underwear on their heads to Mary Walker, a civil war surgeon who was arrested for wearing men's underwear and clothing to better work on patients, this book surveys the vast and fascinating history of our most private clothing.

Modeled by chickens, we trace the history of underwear from the very first discovery- a paleolithic nomad whose body was found completely preserved in ice. From there, we look across time and culture in this completely accessible, new take on boring old nonfiction picture books.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250766496
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	02/15/2022
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	417,549
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 9 Years

About the Author

Hannah Holt is a children's author with an engineering degree. Her books, The Diamond & The Boy (Balzer+Bray) and A Father's Love (Philomel) weave together her love of language and science. She lives in Oregon with her husband, four children, and a very patient cat named Zephyr.

Korwin Briggs is an author and illustrator who makes comics, infographics, and books about academic stuff like history and science. And chickens wearing underwear.

Editorial Reviews

01/10/2022

A fowl marches across time and space shedding new light on the history of people’s intimate relationship with intimate apparel. As Biggs’s crisp cartoons portray poultry-dominated peoples, Professor Chicken (who sports a bow tie, but not underpants) touches on subjects including why underwear is still referred to as a “pair,” as well as the evolution of innovation and taste that led from the loincloth to the codpiece (“fancy underwear on the outside”) and, eventually, the thong. Though the text fails to initially define specific terms (farthingale, panniers, stays), and an ending timeline is frustratingly out of order, Holt writes with a relish for juicy facts and irreverent wordplay (about the loincloths buried with King Tut: “That’s a lot of Fruit of the Tomb”). But she also makes a compelling case for the historicity of material culture: how even mundane items can speak volumes about a society’s technologies, class structure, and commitment to sustainability. Ages 3–9. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

*Listed on 2022 Great Books for Kids List from Evanston Public Library!*

*An Oregon Spirit Book Award Honor Book!*

*"Do not miss this very fun and informative book, which is an excellent choice for anyone interested in fashion, history, or chickens." School Library Journal, starred review

"Holt writes with a relish for juicy facts and irreverent wordplay." - Publishers Weekly

"Not only is this book amazingly informative and chock-full of facts...but it remains accessible and cheerful. It doesn’t get much better than poultry in a petticoat." - Booklist

From the Publisher

★ 01/01/2022

K-Gr 4—A hilarious and surprisingly compelling history of underwear starring chickens that sets the stage for all the information that follows. Holt covers the verbiage of underwear—it's referred to as a "pair" of underwear because typically it was once comprised of two pieces—as well as funny historical facts, for example, that King Tut was entombed with 100 pairs of underwear. Several pages are devoted to the evolution of underwear in different cultures. Funny puns abound amid the facts, but what really sets the book apart is the artwork. The chickens wearing underwear are so silly, it's impossible not to smile while reading it. The juxtaposition of the mostly serious historical text with such charming and adorable chickens is just magical. Back matter includes an illustrated time line. VERDICT Do not miss this very fun and informative book, which is an excellent choice for anyone interested in fashion, history, or chickens.—Debbie Tanner

School Library Journal