Title: Little Chicken’s Big Christmas
Written by Jerry Davis
Illustrated by Katie Davis
Self-published
Ages: 2-5
Themes: Christmas day, anticipation, giving
Available from the Amazon Kindle Store.
Opening Lines:
Little Chicken! Rise ‘n Shine!
Synopsis:
Little Chicken, like any littl’un can’t wait for it to be Christmas day, and keeps on asking Big Chicken if it is? Meanwhile the two of them busy themselves with all those typical Christmas preparations: decorating the tree, seeing Santa at the store, wrapping the presents…. Finally Big Chicken wakes up Little Chicken on Christmas morning and we discover the reason Little Chicken had been so excited – no, it’s not all about the presents he’s about to receive!
Why I like this book:
Simple = beautiful. The text is sparse and the storyline is very simple, but therein lays the great appeal of this Christmas story. The funky font is great fun and the bright, bold digital pictures against the monochrome white background (occasionally blue or green) of lots of typical pre-Christmas excitement-building moments in a child’s life are so true to life and will have readers and listeners nodding their heads in anticipation of the big day. The solution is adorable and I love that in its unfolding there are a couple of pages of Little Chicken alone racing to fulfill his special moment – the illustrations have a super balance of the mom’s calm and the kid’s bubble. The final spread is perfect for a book this wrapped in Christmas’ excitement. The limited color palate is very effective and I confess my eyes trailed Big and Little Chicken’s footwear through the entire book, as they made me laugh so much. This is a perfect read for preschoolers in the days leading up to the Big Day!
Resources/Activities:
- Create Christmas drawing/card for parents/caregiver
- Discussion on how does your family prepare for Christmas or Hannukah or…
- The illustrator’s website can be found at www.katiedavis.com
- Little Chicken Bookmarks/coloring pages and more
Every Friday, authors and KidLit bloggers post a favorite picture book. To see a complete listing of all the Perfect Picture Books with resources, please visit author Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Books.
In my 20's, with only my guitar and a rucksack, I wandered the continents, immersing myself in the lives of some wonderful people, projects and stories, which changed the way I view my responsibility to others and this earth. Right now I'm a European transplant in the US who writes books for children and young adults. Stories can help us not only navigate our world but can connect us to others, and allow us to inspire and help each other. I believe that equity and empathy should be at the core of our all actions, words, and stories.
I am also a school librarian and I get a kick out of book-matchmaking! And I use the pronouns she/her.
Awww… now I have to race out and get it, just so I can find out what he’s so excited about. Especially if it is not the presents! Such a cute book. I was so sure you were gonna spill the beans on the ending… lol. Another lovely Christmas story, thanks Joanna.
I wish this one had a real book edition. It looks and sounds really cute! But I have trouble reading a Kindle. I might just have to figure it out though! Thanks for sharing!
Katie definitely has a great sense of humor! Thanks for this pick.
Thank you so much for this, Joanna! What a lovely review! 😎
Cute book! I love how Little Chicken is more excited for SOMETHING *hint hint wink wink* than he is for presents! 😀 The cover is cute!
This sounds like a winner for Christmas. Not hint of the ending, so I’m just going to have to buy it! Love the cover and what you share. Lovely review!
This is a cute book for Christmas.
Looks and sounds perfectly adorable! I’ll have to see if my cousin has an e-reader so I can get it for her son. 🙂
This looks like such a fun book!