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  • Catch That Chicken!

Catch That Chicken!

Author
Illustrator
Angela Brooksbank
Publication Date
July 07, 2020
Genre / Grade Band
Fiction /  K − 1st
Language
English
Format
Picture Book
Catch That Chicken!

Description

The team behind Baby Goes to Market and B Is for Baby visit a Nigerian village for a humorous ode to childhood ingenuity.

Lami is the best chicken catcher in the whole village. Her sister may be speedy at spelling, her friend fast at braiding hair, and her brother brave with bulls, but when it comes to chickens, nobody is faster or braver than Lami. That is, until the day when Lami chases a little too fast, up the baobab tree, and reaches a little too far . . . ow! How can she catch chickens with an ankle that's puffed up like an angry lizard? Could it be, as Nana Nadia says, that quick thinking is more important than quick running? Award-winning author Atinuke celebrates Nigerian village life in a story vibrantly illustrated by Angela Brooksbank with a universal message at its heart.

Publication date
July 07, 2020
Genre
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781536212686
Publisher
Candlewick Press (MA)
BISAC categories
JUV024000 - Juvenile Fiction | Lifestyles | Country Life
JUV030010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | Africa
JUV002280 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Ducks, Geese, Etc.
Library of Congress categories
Picture books
Chickens
Creative ability
Villages
Nigeria
Creative ability in children

Publishers Weekly

Baby Goes to Market team Atinuke and Brooksbank tell the story of Lami, a West African girl with beaded braids, bright green sandals, and a talent for catching chickens. Her sister Sadia may be a better speller, her brother Bilal may be braver with bulls, but Lami is the champion chicken catcher. She's famed throughout her compound, and family members and friends cheer her on. Brooksbank draws the community from above: a fence surrounds the dwellings and outbuildings where adults and children work and play, drying laundry hangs like banners, and huge trees offer shade. Suspense builds as Lami pursues a black-and-white hen around the compound and up an enormous baobab; "Sannu!" her elders tell her, "SLOW DOWN!" When she takes a tumble, it turns out that Lami can catch chickens even after she's sprained her ankle. The story stars a strong girl of color and offers a look at life in a close-knit community, a setting in which every gift contributes to the whole. Ages 2-5. (July)

Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 2--Lami is the best chicken catcher in her village. One day in her haste and bravery, Lami chases a chicken right up a baobab tree, but loses her footing and falls, spraining her ankle. With advice from her grandmother to use quick thinking rather than quick chasing, Lami remains the best chicken catcher in the village. Set in a beautiful Nigerian village, this tale highlights the ingenuity of children in a humorous and lively manner. Many valuable lessons are embedded into the narrative, and readers will be inspired by Lami's resilience. The illustrations, created with mixed media, are cheerfully colorful and alluring in their detail. VERDICT Children will enjoy this lively tale of positivity and innovation.--Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal Sch., Middleton, DE

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Atinuke
Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhood in both Africa and the UK. She is the author of the best-selling Anna Hibiscus series, as well as Africa, Amazing Africa, illustrated by Mouni Feddag; B Is for Baby and Catch that Chicken!, both illustrated by Angela Brooksbank; and Hugo, illustrated by Birgitta Sif, among others. Atinuke started her career as an oral storyteller of tales from the African continent; now she writes about contemporary life in Nigeria. Atinuke lives on a mountain overlooking the sea in West Wales. Visit her website at atinuke.co.uk.

Onyinye Iwu is the illustrator of all four Too Small Tola books. She was born in Italy, where she spent most of her childhood, then moved to the UK when she was a teenager. Her parents are Nigerian, and she was raised with a strong Nigerian identity. A teacher by day and an illustrator by night, she enjoys reading books, especially ones that make her laugh. Onyinye Iwu lives in London. Visit her website at onyinyeiwu.com.
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