Chook Chook: Little and Lo in the City

Mei's Chooks #2

by Wai Chim

With chickens Little and Lo now an accepted part of the family, Mei’s happier than ever. That is until Ma decides to marry the one-eyed butcher. Now Mei has a new dad, a new brother and new pets to contend with. As if that isn't enough, her brother Guo decides to leave the farm and study in the city.

Mei's not so sure there's a place for her and her chickens in the little farmhouse anymore. So when Little and Lo get into trouble, she knows she has to escape.

Can one girl and two chickens find their way alone in the big city?

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Wai Chim grew up in New York City and now calls Sydney, Australia home. She is the author of several children and young adult titles. You can find her online at waichim.com or on twitter @onewpc.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chook Chook Little and Lo in the City is author Wai Chim’s follow up to Chook Chook: Mei’s Secret Pets. It’s a nice little story exploring the perennial themes of family and identity as Mei has to learn to adjust to a new man in her family when her mother marries again. I wanted to take a look at it because it’s the first children’s chapter book that I’ve come across, that’s set in contemporary rural China.

When I was a child, I devoured a whole series of ‘twins’ books. I can’t remember the name of the series now, but these twins travelled the world – and I gained a glimpse of lifestyles in other countries. This kind of reading is great for children because while it transports them to another world, it shows them that people are basically the same all over the world. Children are less likely to grow up as adults insular and hostile to the Other if they have ‘met’ the Other in their reading. For me, the test for books to meet this goal lies in the balance between depicting the ‘exotic’ culture and the familiarity of everyday life.

Chook Chook, Little and Lo in the City passes this test. It’s the simple story of Mei, who keeps two chickens (Little and Lo) as pets. She lives in a village with her widowed mother and her older brother Guo, and everything is fine until Mum marries the one-eyed butcher, bringing his son Bao along as a younger brother for Mei. The cellar built as a shelter in case there is a typhoon is suddenly filled with smoked pigs, and Bao - who shares a room with Mei – snores, keeping her awake at night. There is more unwelcome change when Guo leaves for the city of Guangzhou.

You can see even from this short summation that there are aspects of Mei’s life that are different to the life of an Australian child.

To see the rest of my review please visit http://lisahillschoolstuff.wordpress....

[Sean Harding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second entry in the series about young girl in China and her pet chooks sees her have the belief she is no longer wanted because of her mother's remarriage and take off to the city, to go to her brother's university. She makes a friend along the way, and of course has a number of hilarious adventures, and misadventures as eventually, of course the day is saved in part by her pet chooks Little and Lo. Good fun and well written, with a real sense of the difference between rural and metropolitan life in China, although it does feel like it is from an era that is sliding away, even in China itself.

[Lara Cain Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chook Chook: Little and Lo in the City takes place one year after the first book in the series, when little Mei’s world is again changed by her beloved big brother Guo heading off to university and her mother remarrying. When her home is invaded by a new little step brother, she decides there’s no longer any room for her. She takes Little and Lo and heads off to the big city to seek comfort with Guo. The book gently hints at the dangers involved in a young girl travelling alone in China (or anywhere) when Mei meets tricksy young orphan, Cap, who introduces her to life as a runaway. Once again, this story is distinctly Chinese whilst being quite relatable to any child who is experiencing a broken family, grief or loss, or who simply longs for adventure. Once again, Mei shows great courage, intelligence and loyalty as she overcomes the obstacles of this new journey. Naturally it resolves happily, but it also leaves the door open for future adventures – and I can’t wait to read them.
A full review can be read at http://thischarmingmum.com

[Ashley Jane Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried at the end. This book was super sweet. Can't wait to get my hands on the next one!