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Extraordinary Warren #1

Extraordinary Warren: A Super Chicken

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Boys and girls will flock to Warren, a quirky chicken who wants to find his inner greatness.Warren, a bespectacled chicken, is bored with the everyday chicken peck, cluck, feed; peck, cluck, feed. Same old, same old. There must be more to life, no? And there must be more to Warren. He leaves the farm to discover what makes him special—and with the help of an unhatched egg and a snarky, hungry rat, he just might get some answers.Filled with simple text, speech balloons, and engaging illustrations, this easy-to-follow story is a blend between a picture book and a chapter book, making it an ideal bridge for independent readers.

64 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 11, 2014

1 person is currently reading
70 people want to read

About the author

Sarah Dillard

47 books29 followers
Sarah lives on a mountain in Vermont with her husband and their fidgety brown dog. Though Sarah strives for perfection, she seldom achieves it. Her house is rarely clean and her garden, when not buried under a snowdrift, is usually full of weeds. Overall, though, she has a pretty nice life. And if windows would only wash themselves, it would be just about perfect! Visit Sarah online at www.sarahdillard.com and www.mousescouts.com

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5 stars
50 (19%)
4 stars
108 (41%)
3 stars
84 (32%)
2 stars
15 (5%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
3,334 reviews37 followers
April 30, 2018
This one was kind of humorous! I'm betting 2nd to 4th graders will probably enjoy this tale of a very extraordinary chicken (and his young sidekick, Egg!). Fun story with great illustrations! Loved the fox!
Profile Image for Kate.
Author 154 books1,711 followers
April 25, 2014
I still remember when my daughter and I read our first graphic novel in Jennifer and Matthew Holmes’ BABYMOUSE series six or seven years ago. We read all of them together, passed them back and forth, and laughed like crazy. There are just a handful of other graphic novels for this age group that share that kind of specialness (Jarrett Krosoczka’s LUNCH LADY series among them) so I was thrilled to see a charming newcomer – Sarah Dillard’s spunky EXTRAORDINARY WARREN: A SUPER CHICKEN.

I’d seen some of Sarah’s early art for this book at a retreat we both attended a while back, so when she asked if I’d like to review the final version, I jumped at the chance, and I’m so glad that I did.

Warren is a chicken who’s tired of the same old clucking and scratching and pecking. But none of the other chickens understand why. (As a kid who grew up in a small town, boy could I relate to this!). So he sets off to find something more, and like so many of us small-town kids with big dreams, finds himself in a bit of danger, even though he doesn’t realize right away that the hungry, double-speaking rat he meets intends to have chicken for dinner. (“Chicken SUPREME!” Warren says proudly.) The young chicken also finds a mysterious egg, too, and along the way discovers that he really is an extraordinary friend.

I love the way this book balances the playful art of a picture book with the character development and story arc of a chapter book. Its bright illustrations blended with just the right amount of text will have great appeal for kids who still love picture books but also want to start tackling chapters. Hand it to your BABYMOUSE and LUNCH LADY fans who need another great character to love.

(Especially since I just saw some good news for Warren – a second book in the series, coming in October '14!)
Profile Image for Stephanie.
639 reviews20 followers
February 2, 2018
I got this book for my son because I saw it on a list for reluctant readers. This book is in more of an early graphic novel format. He did not get frustrated or discouraged with this book and enjoyed the story.

There are some challenging words for his reading level so he still needed some help at parts, but overall I will be looking for more books in this format.
Profile Image for April Thompson Freeman.
407 reviews74 followers
September 6, 2014
Look! Up in the sky! It's CHICKEN SUPREME!

Will Chicken Supreme be able to foil Rat's plan? Stay tuned to find out..

Meantime at the farm.. Chicken Supreme (aka Warren) realizes he can't fly. Will this be the end of Chicken Supreme??!

Oh no! Egg is on the loose, rolling down a hill and headed straight towards the "bbq".Who's to save him?

Splat! Pow!

Chicken Supreme to the rescue, saving Egg and all of chicken-kind!!
Profile Image for Shara.
56 reviews1 follower
March 18, 2014
Super fun! Love the format.
Profile Image for Allison.
661 reviews4 followers
May 20, 2014
My new favorite chicken book!
Profile Image for Victoria Rimes.
55 reviews1 follower
May 12, 2024
I found this to be a fun and humorous read. For those kiddos that are especially drawn to DogMan… this would be a great series to help them to branch out from that. Entertaining storyline but simple enough for beginning readers.
Profile Image for The Book Girl.
780 reviews40 followers
May 8, 2017
I loved this book so much. So cute. Great story. Fun. Review to come.
Profile Image for Kris.
335 reviews2 followers
November 4, 2017
Fun. Good illustrations. Sweet story.
72 reviews
April 22, 2018
Alice: amazing, 5 stars
Jenny: 3 stars...ok, easy reading book for Alice. We took turns reading the pages.
31 reviews
December 4, 2023
I think this book is great for younger kids because it's about a chicken who beleives he is supreme later to find out it means food
Profile Image for Molly Milosevic.
46 reviews
November 24, 2024
I do not like when the rat tries to eat the chicken. And I don’t know the word what chicken supreme means.
Profile Image for Emily Houtchens.
64 reviews3 followers
March 6, 2017
This is a graphic novel about a curious chicken who is bored with his everyday routine. He wants to fly! His friend Egg follows suit and actually flys! But he flys across the road and gets lost. Now Warren has to find his friend!
This is a good transition book between a traditional novel and graphic novel.
This would be a good book to have in the classroom for younger kids that want to start looking at graphic novels.
Profile Image for Lynn.
2,883 reviews16 followers
July 3, 2014
A perfect book for introducing graphic novels! It could also be a mentor text for close reading, as there are many subtle comments and words that change the meaning of everything. The rat tells Warren he could be "Chicken Supreme" and he falls for it until he notices the cookbook under Millard's arm.
Set in short chapters, words such as 'dashed' and 'run-of-the-mill' can be figured out in context. Dillard also uses repetition to show that Warren and Millard are both tired of the same routine, and then at the end when a fox appears looking for eats.
Simple, bold illustrations of chickens with black outlines against a white background draw the eye toward the facial expressions and body posture of the chickens. Some pages have one to six frames, again, simple, with thought and speech bubbles. These are carefully placed, with regular text outside the frames that carry the story and meaning that are not evident in the frames.
Warren reminds me of "Jonathan Livingston Seagull," who wanted more and questioned life.
Profile Image for mg.
701 reviews
August 20, 2014
4 stars for story/illustrations
3 stars for text layout
3.5 stars total


A very cute story about a chicken who wants something more in life than just pecking at chicken feed. He wants to be come Chicken Supreme! If he could only find out what that is exactly...

This is a very cute folktale-esque graphic novel for beginning readers. It is complete with hero, villain, side-kick, and ignorant townspeople needing to be saved. It's a fun story with simple, yet catchy pictures that many kids would find enjoyable.

My only concern is that it isn't a graphic novel entirely told in panels. Some of the text is within a traditional panel, some is simply on the page not within any kind of panel. For children just beginning to learn to read, it may be confusing as to which should be read first. It's only on a few of the pages, but enough that I think a young reader may be confused. I'm sure the illustrations and story are enticing enough to make the reader want to power through either way, though.
27 reviews2 followers
December 8, 2016
This graphic book is about a little chicken named Warren who is sick of being a regular chicken and wants to be something special. Warren is tricked into thinking that he is going to be a superhero named "Chicken Supreme", when in reality it's the meal that the rat is going to turn Warren and his friends into. When Warren finally realizes what the rat is planning to do to him and his friends, he becomes the real hero by saving everyone before it's too late.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel because it told the story of how the chicken wanted to be something different. I think that it sends out a great message implying that you can do different things out of the ordinary if you want, you don't just have to follow along, and that it is okay to want to be different. I also enjoyed the graphics and the layout of the book was presented.

Books that you can pair this book with are: Extraordinary Warren Saves the Day (Extraordinary Warren, #2) , Mouse Scouts, & First Day At Zoo School
Profile Image for Margaux.
1,579 reviews32 followers
June 21, 2014
SO CUTE!

I'd recommend this to first or second graders who want a book that's in between an easy reader, graphic novel and a chapter book (well, it is a beginning chapter book). Warren is a chicken who's tired of mundane barnyard chicken life. He confides in his friend, Egg, that he yearns for more. So when Millard the rat comes around and says he'd love to celebrate Warren with a barbecue, he isn't suspicious at all. In fact, he's honored. What Warren doesn't know is that he wants to have him for dinner, not to dinner. When egg hatches, it's up to them to foil Millard's plans.

Digitally created panels create a graphic novel effect in this story.
Profile Image for Susan  Dunn.
2,080 reviews
January 5, 2016
Warren the chicken is sick of peck, peck, pecking. He wants something more than just plain old chicken feed. He wants adventure! Unfortunately none of the other chickens share his aspirations however. Warren is a rat. And Warren wants something new as well - he is tired of digging through the trash. Then he spies a chicken. And not just any chicken, but a "Chicken Supreme"! Warren is thrilled to be called Chicken Supreme - until he realizes that that is something to eat!... Warren's attempts to avoid becoming Millard's dinner are silly and entertaining. Kids in grades 1-3 will enjoy this short but sweet illustrated chapter book.
Profile Image for Diane.
7,297 reviews
January 8, 2015
Warren wants to be more than an ordinary chicken, pecking all day long. Millard, the rat, is looking for something different, something other than trash. When these two meet, a misunderstanding could lead to danger. Millard would be happy to make Warren "Chicken Supreme." Warren thinks superhero, Millard thinks dinner. When Warren discovers Millard's plan, he tries to warn the other chickens, but they never listen to him. What will he do?

For emerging readers, a humorous tale of believing in yourself.
Profile Image for Anastasia Tuckness.
1,677 reviews18 followers
January 28, 2015
I loved this! Warren (at least according to him) is no ordinary chicken. He is not satisfied with pecking the same chicken feed every day. One day he hears someone talking about Chicken Supreme ... and thinks that sounds just great. Little does he know it is best accomplished with some cream sauce!

A villainous rat, a flying coach goose, and a trusty sidekick round out this sweet story with more fun turns of plot than you'd expect from such a small book. Highly recommended as a quick read-aloud or for beginning confident readers.
Profile Image for Samantha.
4,985 reviews60 followers
March 6, 2014
Warren's a fairly ordinary chicken who dreams of being extraordinary. His peers tend to disagree with him on most topics and laugh at him quite a bit, but that doesn't stop Warren from trying to save them when a sly rat includes them in his dinner plans.

This one fell a little flat for me. I thought the character would be a bit more memorable, the text a little funnier. The storyline feels a little like Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but substitute chickens.

Recommended for grades 1-3.
654 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2014
Combination of chapter book and graphic novel. Roughly 2nd grade reading level. Cute storyline but the illustrations are wonderful and they carry the book.

Warren is tired of his chicken's life, pecking, pecking, pecking, and he longs for the life of an extraordinary chicken. Millard the rat is looking for a tastier dinner than the rubbish he finds in garbage cans. When they meet, there is--to say the least--miscommunication and Warren's life becomes extraordinary.



Profile Image for Kristen.
Author 5 books32 followers
April 16, 2015
This is a terrific graphic novel for readers who find more wordy, complex graphic novels overwhelming. It doesn't look baby-ish, just fun, but the white space, basic plot, and readable text make this a just right book for kids moving from "easy readers" to chapter books. Plus, when Warren bumps into the egg, he says, "Oeuf!" Delightful!

Ooh, and there's a free storyhour kit available through Curious City DPW! So cool!
Profile Image for Linda.
1,133 reviews10 followers
August 10, 2014
This is a satisfying beginning reader for a child who isn't quite ready for Magic Tree House but is beyond a very controlled vocabulary reader. It is a fun story about overcoming your fears and finding your potential to succeed but the ending was a bit fuzzy and a little to subtle for the audience in which this book this book is intended.
Profile Image for Mary.
3,710 reviews10 followers
January 17, 2015
This is a brightly colored picture book with six short simple chapters that is also a graphic novel. Warren is bored with farm life and gets the opportunity to be more than just an ordinary chicken when a no-good rat comes into the picture. Warren becomes a super hero with an adorable sidekick, Egg. A fun easy-to-read beginning graphic novel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews