Big Chickens Fly the Coop get 4.5 Stars

Big Chickens Fly the Coop by Leslie Helakoski gets 4.5 out of 5 stars in this book review.

This may be the second "Big Chickens" book by Helakoski, but it stands alone on its own quite well.  

This fun picture book makes a great read aloud with its fun adjectives and verbs word choices for the toddlers, preschoolers, Kindergartners, as well as the first graders.  Teachers in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th grade should love using this book for a great and obvious word choice writing lesson.  If the author hadn't used such excellent word choice this story would be quite boring and short.   

The illustrations by Henry Cole are pretty fun as well, and make it a great book for the young to just read aka look at over and over again.  

Big Chickens Fly the Coop really has some fabulous and creative words which makes this story far more fun to read and worth the 4.5 stars.  Plus the surprise/twist of an ending makes this a great book for boys and girls alike of many ages.   

To give you a bit more detail of the storyline, Amazon had the following book review from School Library Journal:

"The four fowl from Big Chickens (Dutton, 2005) agree that they should always stay home where it's safe "except…we've always wanted to see the farmhouse." As the hens venture out, time and again, they mistake other buildings and equipment for their destination and end up scurrying back to their coop. They almost give up, but then decide that chickens can be loud and dirty and wild. With determination, they make a pell-mell, treacherous dash through the field and arrive, at last, in front of the farmhouse. In a surprise ending, readers see the farmhouse right next to the chicken coop as the birds wonder, "Did someone move our coop?" Each traveling catastrophe is met with clever rhyming vocabulary and the repetition of phrases, all of which move the story forward with just enough predictability to engage young listeners and beginning readers. The dangers of the farm are expressed in the highly emotional reactions of the cartoon chickens and their exaggerated actions. Line, color, and placement all contrast the alternating chaos of exploring the farm with the safety of resting in the coop. A witty addition that is sure to elicit giggles from readers."

If you are looking for a great read aloud for the younger elementary grades, or you are in need of a 6 Traits Word Choice Writing Lesson give Big Chickens Fly the Coop a check-out.  You will enjoy it! 

Happy funny, fabulous, and creative picture book reading!