Chicken Book Reviews 2025 - Are You Ready for Some Extraordinary Chicken Books?
Once again, as I’ve done for any number of years, I’ve read a plethora of chicken-themed books, narrowed those books down to a few favorites, and penned a review of each. If you decide to go looking for any of these books, you need not look any further than your local bookseller. If they’re not on the shelves, your bookseller will happily order them for you!
The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly
Sun-Mi Hwang
Translation by Chi-Young Kim
llustrations by Nomoco
Penguin Books
2013
I’ll start with a confession: I’m not happy with this book’s English translation from the original Korean. There. I’ve said it. Bear with me while I explain why, and then I’ll tell you why despite that, this small book broke my heart. In a good way.
When Sun-mi Hwang’s book was first published in Korea in 2000, it was a phenomenon. It stayed on the Korean best-seller list for over a decade, inspired a 2011 movie that broke Korean box office records, and became a modern Korean classic. The English language version was published in in 2013. And crickets. There was no fanfare and little buzz. Today, twenty-five years after its original publication date, most American readers have never heard of it.
Why did this book, incredibly popular in Korea, never grow legs here? Some blame cultural differences—they say the themes that are relatable to Koreans don’t resonate in the West. I disagree. I think the themes the book addresses are universal and the problem is with the translation.
Chi-Young Kim, a respected Booker-Prize-shortlisted translator and Penguin, the American publisher, had to make choices in translating this book for an English-speaking audience. I suspect that some of the decisions were made by committee and that there were too many cooks spoiling the broth. Publication was delayed over the title. The Korean title is Leafie, a Hen into the Wild. In the English edition, Leafie the hen was renamed “Spout” and the title became The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly. The English-language title is intriguing and poetic. But I’ve read the book and I don’t think it fits. Why? Well, no spoilers.
It was decided to make “creative, rather than literal” choices for the main character’s name and the title of the book, and I suspect that similar choices were made with how the story is told. I also suspect that choices were often made not to stay true to the story but to make the story more marketable. Penguin has promoted the book as “The Korean Charlotte’s Web.” Well…Charlotte’s Web is a classic children’s book. The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly is not for kids. It is an allegory about freedom, conformity, social acceptance, motherhood and sacrifice. These themes, as they are developed here, may not be interesting or appropriate for kids. Also, the book is very dark and very sad.
My analysis of this inadequately translated, dark, sad novel? Here comes the surprise. It is the best book I’ve read this year. It’s the best book I’ve read for a good long time. Why is this book so good? It’s the story—the story transcends the imperfect translation. I was completely captivated by Sun-mi Hwang’s tale of this intrepid little hen. I read the book with a lump in my throat and finished it with tears streaming down my face.
We are introduced to Sprout as a nameless production hen in a battery cage. Her cage’s location allows her to see through a crack in the barn door into the great world. In the brightness of the world just outside the door there is an acacia tree which Sprout watches through the seasons. She’s named herself Sprout after the springtime acacia sprouts. Nobody else knows or cares that she has a name. But naming herself after the sprouts that resolutely become leaves is a way for her to express her yearning for meaning and purpose in her empty life.
She also sees other hens outside the door; fancy show hens, wandering freely in the barnyard with their retinue of baby chicks. The chicks have hatched from eggs like the ones Sprout lays. But Sprout’s eggs roll down the slanted wire mesh floor of her cage as soon as she lays them and then disappear. She desperately wants a baby and she knows she’ll never have one.
Sprout succumbs to cage fatigue, stops eating, discontinues laying her meaningless eggs, is unable to stand and near death. She hears a voice exclaim that “this one needs to be culled. Get it out of the coop.” She doesn’t understand “culled” but she is thrilled by the prospect of leaving the coop. Now she can keep her eggs! Now she can have chicks!
She awakens in a hole, surrounded by dead hens. With horror, she escapes the open grave, barely escapes the clutches of a hungry weasel and finds her way to the farmyard.
The farmyard poultry do not welcome her. The ducks sneer at her. The show chickens are offended by her bedraggled feathers and explain that her purpose is as a battery hen. They declare that she can’t live with them and that she should get back to her cage. The only one to show her any kindness is Straggler, a scruffy wild duck who lives among the domestic poultry and is himself an outcast and at the bottom of the pecking order. Straggler convinces the others to allow Sprout to spend the night. But in the morning, they drive her into the fields with pecks and taunts. As they drive her out, the head rooster glares at her and derisively explains that she’s been culled. “Nobody wants you.”
Sprout abandons the farmyard and lives in the fields. Life there proves to be more fulfilling than she’s imagined. She can wander freely, scratch in the dirt, and snack on caterpillars and plants. But at night she needs to be vigilant and find places to roost that are safe from the treacherous weasel. She is frustrated and saddened that even though she builds beautiful and meticulous nests and dutifully spends time sitting in them, she is unable to lay an egg.
Then she finds her destiny. In a dense briar patch, there is a nest, and in that nest is one perfect egg. She puts the entirety of her little chicken heart into brooding that seemingly abandoned egg. While she is brooding the egg, her old friend Straggler appears, and proving his friendship, brings her fish to eat so she doesn’t have to leave the nest. And he patrols at night to keep her safe from the weasel.
The egg hatches. Sprout is blessed with a baby. And the story segues into a beautiful parable of love, motherhood, and sacrifice that builds to a poignant and bittersweet event that speaks of love, motherhood and sacrifice in an unexpected and profoundly sad conclusion.
The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly may be a simple parable about a small hen, but it asks big questions about life, purpose, and sacrifice. You will find yourself pondering this book in quiet moments long after you close the last page.
What the Chicken Knows
A New Appreciation of the World’s Most Familiar Bird
Sy Montgomery
Atria Books
2024
You may find it odd, but I’m going to begin my review of Sy Montgomery’s small, delightful book about chickens by recounting an old Twilight Zone episode. Bear with me and you’ll see my rationale soon enough.
To Serve Man was part of Twilight Zone’s third season and originally aired on March 2, 1962. The episode is about aliens landing on Earth. These aliens do not seem hostile, and in fact seem determined to solve the problems of humankind with their advanced technology. They quickly tackle problems that have plagued humanity since the dawn of time: hunger, disease, warfare. They turn Earth into a utopia.
Michael Chambers, a US government cryptographer, is given the task of deciphering a book the aliens possess. After much effort, his assistant is finally able to decipher the book’s title; To Serve Man. Everyone in the world is now convinced of the aliens’ altruistic intent and Michael Chambers decides to pay a visit to the alien’s home planet, which has been described as a paradise.
As Chambers is boarding the alien spacecraft, Chamber’s panicked assistant runs to the boarding platform and screams a warning; she has been able to translate more of To Serve Man. It is a cookbook.
The aliens are the losers in this story, I think. We humans have our issues, but we are an amazingly complex, interesting species. Sure, maybe we’re also delicious, but wouldn’t it enrich those aliens’ lives if they got to know us as individuals and not just as food?
Segue to chickens and What the Chicken Knows.
There are 27 billion chickens alive in the world at any given moment. That’s a lot of birds. Thus, chickens are not strangers to us. We all know about chickens, right? Sadly, for many people that familiarity is almost entirely based on the cacciatore and Kiev on their dinner plates. Montgomery suggests that a dinner plate “is not the best place to get to know someone.” Then she tells us the real story about chickens.
Sy Montgomery is a naturalist who writes books about animals. Her international bestseller, The Good Pig, is the memoir of her pig, Christopher Hogwood. The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration into the Wonder of Consciousness, was a 2015 National Book Award finalist. She has also written books about great apes, hummingbirds, dolphins, tigers, and a host of other animals. And she has kept chickens. She has spent quality time being up close and personal with these amazing birds. Thus, this book that tells the real story about chickens was probably inevitable.
What does the chicken know? A lot, Montgomery tells us. They are intelligent animals that possess the same range of emotions that we do. They can remember over a hundred different individuals, both other chickens and humans. Their vocabulary consists of more than 20 distinct sounds that communicate specific messages. For example, one call denotes a flying predator like a hawk and a different call indicates a ground predator such as a racoon. Mirror studies have shown that chickens are self-aware. They remember past events and anticipate the future. They form friendships with other chickens—and with humans.
They are an amazingly complex, interesting species. Wouldn’t it enrich our lives if each of us got to know a chicken? Chickens have certainly enriched my life. And Montgomery? Her husband overheard her one night as she put her flock to bed. “Yes, Ladies, you’re my beauties. I love you so much.”
The Chicken Who Saved Us
The Remarkable Story of Andrew and Frightful
Kristin Jarvis Adam
Behler Publications
2017
Kristin Jarvis Adams’ memoir is a raw, deeply emotional account of a mother fighting for her son’s life while navigating a genetic disorder so rare that many doctors have never heard of it. She writes with unflinching honesty about the agony of watching her child suffer, the pain the illness inflicts on her family, the frustrations of navigating the complexities of modern medicine, and the stress imposed by the decision-making around experimental treatments.
At the heart of the story is Andrew, born with Trisomy 8 Mosaicism—an extremely rare genetic condition that brings recurring and worsening fevers, internal ulcerations, and debilitating pain. His days are often marked by illness, pain, and vomiting. Whatever Andrew’s feelings and fears, his autism keeps much of his inner world locked away, even from his mom.
And then comes Frightful.
Andrew is eight, is between episodes, and is “looking like any third-grade boy.” The family takes an excursion to the local feed store to buy grass seed. The store’s annual “Chick Fest” is in full swing and Andrew and his sister are both captivated by the bins of peeping fluffballs. Andrew focuses on a bin of Araucana babies, leans in and emerges with his hands cupped around a chick and announces. “She is my new friend. I’d like to bring her home with me.” The family later leaves the store with a cartload of chicken equipment and a tiny box containing six baby chicks.
Andrew is smitten. He names his chick “Frightful,” leaving his mom baffled. “Who is frightful? Why do you call her Frightful?” “Because she told me that was her name.” His mom is still unsure of his meaning. “Are you scared, Andrew?” “Her name is Frightful. She will be brave for me,” he replies.
And she is.
As the chick grows into a hen, the bond between boy and bird also grows. Andrew is devoted to his chicken. While autism limits his communication with people, no such limitation exists between Andrew and Frightful. Andrew tells the little hen everything and she seems to understand. Andrew’s family thinks of Andrew as bilingual –he speaks both English and Chicken.
One afternoon, Adams finds Andrew sitting on a stump at the edge of the woods, superhero cape around his shoulders, Frightful nestled comfortably in his hands. “I think my body is trying to kill me,” he tells the hen quietly. “I don’t know why it would do that. But you make me feel better, Frightful. Do you understand?”
“Crawww-cruk-cruk,” she answers. Yes. I’m here for you.
Over the next decade, as Andrew’s condition worsens and his family searches for answers, Frightful is indeed there for him—she is an excellent listener, in her chicken manner, who never interrupts, judges or questions. She stays close when he’s hurting, and gives him a sense of consistency in a world that often overwhelms him. She seems to sense his distress, and Andrew sees her presence and attention as acceptance and love.
Adams chronicles the long years of heartbreak and triumph with both brutal honesty and remarkable tenderness—long periods of illness, extended hospital stays, and medical miracles. Through it all, “With all that Andrew had to endure, Frightful was his confidant, his strength, and his emotional oasis.” The deep, non-verbal connection between boy and chicken helps Andrew endure intense medical treatments and survive. Frightful is more than a chicken. She is Andrew’s confidant, his comfort, and at times, his lifeline.
The Chicken Who Saved Us is a powerful testament to the unexpected places where healing can be found. As Adams writes, “It was Frightful, the chicken, who saved my son.”
Archie and the Accidental Chicken Heroes - The Toxic Toads
Archie and the Accidental Chicken Heroes - The Ranch
Anita Sachilikidis
Clucky Feathers Books
2024 & 2025
(for readers 8-12)
Evil minions of the world, beware! A team of superheroes stands ready to stop your villainy. They are fearless. They are fighters. They are feathered. They are SUPER CHICKENS!
Last year, in Archie and the Accidental Chicken Heroes—which I reviewed here—author Anita Sachlikidis introduced us to Archie and his friend Josh. We also got to meet Archie’s extraordinary hens: Lola and Coco, medium-sized brown girls; Olive and Rosie, larger hens with striking black-green and red-brown plumage; and Milk and Sugar, the enigmatic white silkies known collectively as “The Smalls.” Only Archie and Josh know the truth. These are no ordinary chickens. They’re superchickens! And each has her own unique powers. When trouble strikes, they become Captain Lola, Flash Coco, Black Whistle, Rosen-Hulk, and… The Smalls.
That delightful original book has now become a series with the publication of two new books—each packed with adventure, heroics, and plenty of feathered antics.
The Toxic Toads finds Archie and his hens facing an old foe, while a far more dangerous threat lurks underground. There, in the dark, hide hordes of toads with sinister yellow eyes and skin that oozes glowing, gelatinous slime. These aren’t ordinary toads. These are TOXIC TOADS. Archie’s hens may be superchickens, but are their powers strong enough to save the world from this slimy amphibious menace?
The Ranch brings Archie to his grandparents’ suburban acreage; “The Ranch.” Archie has loved this place since he was little, but for his six hens, it’s all brand-new. Once they’ve explored the fruit trees and sprawling vegetable garden, they agree it’s paradise. And to their delight, other animals live there—including chickens! The resident flock is friendly and welcoming, though clearly ordinary and entirely without superpowers.
But peace never lasts long for Archie and his hens. Trouble arrives in the form of a smiling, scheming villain with a plan that threatens Archie’s grandparents, their beautiful ranch, and every creature on it. Once again, Archie must rely on his wits, and the hens must unleash their powers to stop the malicious bad guy. This time, they even get help from their new friends—non-superpowered but determined to save the ranch all the same.
I welcomed both of these new books as a chance to get reacquainted with Archie and his special flock and to find out what happens next! Your kids will also welcome that chance too. And so will you!
(Postscript: A recently published book has joined this growing collection of tales about Archie and his superchickens—Archie and the Accidental Chicken Heroes: Hencraft. Will this new book entertain us with another tale of brave chickens stepping up to face a perilous menace? Without a doubt!)
Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?
Kelly Jones
Illustrations: Katie Kath
Knopf Books for Young Readers
2018
(for readers 8-12)
And then there are those other superchickens! The ones living in the rural California coop of Sophie Brown. In the 2015 book Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer, (which I reviewed here) author Kelly Jones introduced us to Sophie as she moved from Los Angeles to a small town and unexpectedly became the caretaker of an extraordinary flock of chickens—each one with its own superpower.
Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken? picks up right where the first book left off, letting us discover what comes next for Sophie and her flock of amazing birds.
One of the things I love about this book is the way the magical and the everyday blend together. Incredible things happen, yes—but real life happens, too. Sophie is a 12-year-old Xicana girl from a big city adjusting to life in a small town. She deals with school and all the usual challenges of being twelve. She also encounters racism—both the subtle and the blatant—that many Xicana girls probably face regularly. On top of that, her older cousin Lupe moves in so she can attend a nearby college. Will Lupe fit in? What will she make of Sophie’s chickens—and their unusual abilities?
Sophie already has her hands full navigating her relationship with Lupe, adjusting to her new school, completing her schoolwork, and caring for her chickens. But then she’s tasked with integrating two new unusual chickens into her coop and figuring out how to incubate and hatch some unusual eggs. And on top of that she’s facing an inspection from the Unusual Poultry Committee!
As in the first book, Kelly Jones tells the story through a delightful collection of emails, letters, and assorted documents. One chapter is even titled “Sam’s Dad’s Blackberry Crisp Recipe (As Written on My Arm).” And, it’s exactly that: the recipe.
This second book is every bit as charming, entertaining, and quirky as the first. Your middle-schoolers won’t want to put it down. They’ll cheer for Sophie as she meets each new challenge—and come to see that she’s not only an exceptional poultry farmer, but an exceptional girl as well.
