Chicken Talk Around the World

by Carole Lexa Schaefer, Pierr Morgan (Illustrator)

Overview

Explore world languages and different cultures as we see—and hear—grandmothers' chickens in the United States, Mexico, Kenya, Japan, India, and France, in this delightful book that introduces children to cultural diversity.

Kid-friendly text full of onomatopoeia and simple international vocabulary makes Chicken Talk Around the World a great read-aloud. Bright, charming illustrations show multigenerational families and chickens in different environments, celebrating cultural diversity; as well as universal elements, such as the special relationships grandmothers have with their grandchildren no matter where they live in the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781632172914
Publisher:	Sasquatch Books
Publication date:	03/16/2021
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.79(w) x 11.14(h) x 0.33(d)
Lexile:	AD610L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

CAROLE LEXA SCHAEFER is an award-winning children's book author. She has written over thirty picture books and easy readers published with four major publishing companies. As an educator, as well as an author, Carole is comfortable and experienced in giving presentations to both children and adults on her books and related topics. In addition to many classroom visits, she has presented to the American Library Association, the Association of American English Teachers, the Conference of Whole Language Teachers, and the International Reading Association. She is also the author of The Children's Garden, illustrated by Pierr Morgan.

PIERR MORGAN has published extensively with major publishers. She grew up in Seattle and now lives in Spokane, WA. She's the illustrator of The Children's Garden, written by Carole Lexa Schaefer. Visit her at PierrMorgan.com and on Instagram @pierrmorgan.

Editorial Reviews

06/14/2021

Six grandmothers and their individual chicken farms around the world take the spotlight in this accessible picture book that centers language. Opening on Gram’s U.S. farm in Walla Walla, Wash., Schaefer subsequently leads readers through farms in Mexico City; “a small village in Kenya”; Japan’s Honshu Island; Bihar, India; and Bordeaux, France, imparting “chicken talk” in the respective language of each country. “And as they search around for grubs and grain—voila! (vwah-LA)—you hear: Clou, clou./ Clou-ee!/... Chicken talk in French.” Textured strokes and sunny hues by Morgan depict the grandmas, abuelas, obachans, and more as gently smiling figures against distinct landscapes. Young readers will enjoy learning how chicken onomatopoeia differs across languages, as well as the various names for grandmothers, in this simple yet educational story that encourages the learning of language and culture through shared experience. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"This charming shout-out to grandmothers, poultry, and rural lifestyles shows that this trio—as it turns out—can be found in almost every country around the globe."—Booklist

"A fun way to travel around the world – especially with a young class. Who doesn’t love making animal sounds!"—Kiss the Book blog

"Young readers will enjoy learning how chicken onomatopoeia differs across languages, as well as the various names for grandmothers, in this simple yet educational story that encourages the learning of language and culture through shared experience."—Publisher's Weekly

From the Publisher

2021-02-09
Chicken onomatopoeias explored in six different languages.

Author Schaefer brings readers on a linguistic tour of six countries on four continents to explore the very similar sounds human speakers make to mimic chickens and roosters. Sticking to major, widely spoken languages—English in the U.S., Spanish in Mexico, French in France, Swahili in Kenya, Hindi in India, and Japanese in Japan, to be precise—the text imagines young readers visiting grandmothers and their flocks around the globe. Two spreads per language, all ending with “Chicken talk in [insert language here],” introduce readers to their respective words for hens, roosters, eggs, and grandmas, complete with parenthetical English phonetic spellings. Illustrator Morgan’s blocky, pastel-like illustrations fill the pages with loving families and a variety of unspecified chicken breeds. While this may not be a read to return to again and again, it certainly opens up the concept of different languages’ approaches to sound. Disappointingly, though, the book ends with illustrations of each grandmother’s egg-based dish, and while the unnamed smiling children introduce readers to each language’s thank you, they provide no insight on their cultural foods. Altogether, a fine jumping-off point for a lifelong love of chickens, language, food, or all three—but with gaps.

An interesting but limited introduction to animal onomatopoeia. (Informational picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews