The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County

2007, Melanie Kroupa Books

"But I don't. I look again at those fuzzy chicks cuddling tight beneath her wing. "Pee-o, pee-o, pee-o," they sing.

"Don't you worry, Miss Hen," I say. "I know you're a mama now. You're doing what you need to do. I won't trouble your babies."

Miss Hen settles back into her nest."

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Janice N. Harrington

Harrington is a poet, a children's book author, and a professional storyteller. She publishes her work in the African American Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, Beloit Poetry Journal,  and Harvard Review, among other journals. Harrington received the Ezra jack Keats new Writer Award in 2005 for her children's book Going North.

Shelley Jackson

Jackson grew up in Berkeley, California where her family owned a small women's bookstore. She published her first work, Patchwork Girl (1995) - a reworking of the Shelley's Frankenstein -- is considered a groundbreaking work of hyperfiction. Jackson also writes essays and illustrates children's books.

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Book Synopsis

Big Mama tells Girl to not chase the chickens, but she just can't help herself. She sneaks up on them.  She scatters corn bread crumbs. She holds as still as possible waiting for them to come to her.  But the one she really wants to catch, Miss Hen, gets away from Girl every time.

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Picture book, 40 pages. She loves to chase the chickens and plots to finally catch Miss Hen. Until she discovers Miss Hen's secret!

Learning Options

Family Read Aloud Time
A humorous read aloud culminates in the Chicken Chasing Queen's rehabilitation when she meets Miss Hen's tiny chicks.  Great examples of how and how-not-to treat small farm animals!

Classroom Resource
Marcie Flinchum Atkins has a wonderful Mentor Text Lesson Plan for this title. It meets Virginia CCSS, but could easily be adapted for other state standards.

Learning at Home
Learning empathy often begins with caring for small animals. How Do Pets Help with Home Schooling is a thoughtful post by Eva Varga -- if you are on the fence about adding a pet to your family.

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