Starla Jean

by Elana K. Arnold, A. N. Kang (Illustrator)

Overview

Printz Honor winner and National Book Award Finalist Elana K. Arnold makes her chapter book debut with this charming story of a girl and her chicken, irresistibly illustrated by A. N. Kang.

Introducing Starla Jean!

She's full of moxie, clever as a fox, and obsessed with catching a chicken she finds at the park.

When Starla first sees the scrawny bird wandering around, she just knows they're destined for one another. Her dad says, "If you can catch it, you can keep it," and Starla Jean is not one to back down from a challenge.

Lexile 510L.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250305763
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	01/19/2021
Series:	Starla Jean , #1
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	1,032,274
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	510L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Elana K. Arnold is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels (including Damsel and What Girls are Made Of) and children's books (What Riley Wore, A Boy Called Bat, and more). She lives in Southern California with her family and a menagerie of pets.

A. N. Kang is the creator of many delightful books for young readers, including The Very Fluffy Kitty, Papillon; My Big Bad Monster; Celebrate You!; and Squirrel's Family Tree. She lives in New York.

Editorial Reviews

11/23/2020

Cycling with her father—on a double bike that’s a fun touch—determined, curious Starla Jean encounters “the skinniest, ugliest chicken” she’s ever seen. Struck by a desire to bring it home, she decides to meet her father’s unthinking challenge of “if you can catch it, you can keep it,” and succeeds. Disappointingly, readers never see exactly how she accomplishes this, but the ensuing events in Arnold’s (An Ordinary Day) four-part chapter book series opener entertain. Among them, the chicken gains the name Opal Egg, teaches baby sister Willa her first word, and is given a diaper in an attempt at house training. Color illustrations by Kang (My Big Bad Monster) emphasize Starla Jean’s impish nature while evoking a slightly conventional ambiance for the white family. The girl has a face that’s all blue eyes; when she’s resolute, the tip of her tongue pokes out of her expressive mouth. Generous white space keeps the momentum rising as running text—a single thought, or sometimes even one word, including the chicken’s initial squawk—stretches across spreads. A smattering of “Fun Facts About Chickens” creates a humorously informative closing. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Rubin Pfeffer, Rubin Pfeffer Content. Illustrator’s agent: Elena Giovinazzo, Pippin Properties. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

* "This series starter features Starla Jean’s exuberant first-person narration, liberally punctuated with dialogue with her family and neighbors. Readers transitioning to early chapter books will appreciate the four short chapters and the limited amount of text per page, wide margins, and ample space between lines of text. Mercy Watson fans will flock to this whimsical new series for developing readers."—Kirkus, starred review

"Generous white space keeps the momentum rising as running text—a single thought, or sometimes even one word, including the chicken’s initial squawk—stretches across spreads. A smattering of 'Fun Facts About Chickens' creates a humorously informative closing." — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

03/05/2021

Gr 1–2—In short chapters geared to newly proficient readers, an inquisitive child with spunk takes home a chicken she finds in the park, hoping it will be her pet. Starla Jean is a lively young white girl who enjoys being one with nature and riding her bike with her father. She narrates, and her droll tone is sure to draw readers in as she explains how she became a chicken expert. For good reasons, she names the chicken Opal Egg. In fact, Starla has a good reason for everything she does, and though the story is little more than a shaggy dog tale, but with a chicken, there is a happy ending. VERDICT A funny introduction to a new character and series, best for its humorous narration and a charming baby sister.—Annmarie Braithwaite, New York P.L., New York City

School Library Journal

★ 2020-11-18
A girl and a rescued chicken become best friends in a new series for developing readers.

When Starla Jean finds a skinny, bug-eyed chicken at the park, her dad promises her if she can catch it, she can keep it. To her father’s dismayed surprise, Starla Jean does indeed catch the chicken, immediately naming her Opal Egg. The more she learns about Opal Egg, the more Starla Jean wants to keep her, but what if the chicken belongs to someone else? This series starter features Starla Jean’s exuberant first-person narration, liberally punctuated with dialogue with her family and neighbors. Readers transitioning to early chapter books will appreciate the four short chapters and the limited amount of text per page, wide margins, and ample space between lines of text. Occasionally, the white space around the text is humorously interrupted by bold, red chicken sound effects. Soft, textured cartoons in muted colors further the comedic storytelling and provide readers natural places to rest their eyes. Present on every double-page spread, illustrations range in size from small pictures set within the text to expansive illustrations taking up most or all of a spread. The setting is quaint, a rural town with picturesque stone bridges and old-fashioned houses. Starla Jean’s family is depicted with light-brown or dark hair and pale skin. Elderly neighbors are depicted with pale or light tan skin and white hair.

Mercy Watson fans will flock to this whimsical new series for developing readers. (Fiction. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews