Chicken Boy: My Life With Hens

by Arthur Parkinson

Growing up in an ex-mining town in Nottinghamshire, Arthur Parkinson never wanted a dog, or a cat, or a pony - just hens. As a kid, he was known as 'chicken boy', a taunt Arthur now proudly reclaims with his crested coterie that includes countless hens, from Sheila the white Silkie to Clarissa the champagne-coloured Buff Cochin.

A personal and humorous memoir of Arthur's life amongst his hens, Chicken Boy is illustrated throughout with his own characterful watercolours and candid photography of his 'ladies'. This is an invitation to discover the joy that is only possible in the company of these intriguing creatures: Pekins are friendly, Lavender Leghorns aloof, while Burford Browns have a bad habit of feather-pecking...

Having already earned renown as 'king of the small-space garden', Arthur's appreciation for the natural world is inspiring and relatable. The quiet fulfilment of hen-keeping rituals has rescued his mental health from pervasive depression. His sanctuary is the backyard: nurturing chicks who grow into happy hens and planting hardy, chicken scratch-resistant foliage.

Chicken Boy is a joyful ramble through the hen house - sleeves rolled-up - and a testament to the mutual rewards and delights of keeping hens.

'Arthur's love of living things is completely infectious.'
Joanna Lumley

'An author whose writing is as unashamedly ebullient as his dazzling displays.'
Gardens Illustrated

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2023

Reviews

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the nicest books I have read in simply forever. Parkinson is charming and knowledgeable, passionate about chickens and the way of life he has chosen and he is very generous in the way he shares it with the reader. Everything about this book is great. The photography, the illustrations, the writing. It made me want to get chickens. It also made me realise that I am not in a position to get chickens and that to get them would be entirely for my own pleasure and that is not the point. The whole point of this book is to build a generous, nurturing relationship with the natural world and to rebalance things in favour of a world of we have so long taken from and not given back to. Parkinson is gentle but unsparing and is entirely clear about his message.

[Daniel Myatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mixture of biography and guide to chickens that was well-written and well presented (I listened to the book) although a little more like a lecture in parts still a good listen.

[Zuzanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precious book!
A perfectly balanced memoir, hen keeping guide and art/photo exhibition of the joys and realities of keeping hens. I adored every page of this book and will be planning out my own desert island flock immediately.

[Zoë Eaglen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming world of feathers ,beautifully illustrated and highly informative. Would love to have chickens but not enough space unfortunately and having read this book I would want only the best for my chickens!🥰

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a charming gem of a book! I spotted Arthur Parkinson’s Chicken Boy in the Slightly Foxed autumn readers’ catalogue and loved the sound of it:

Most of us want a dog or a cat when we are young but for Arthur, it was always hens. From the allotments of Nottinghamshire to Chatsworth and an unlikely friendship with the late Duchess of Devonshire, a famous hen-keeper, this memoir – illustrated by the author – tells the story of the love and satisfaction to be found in caring for living things.

I added it to my Christmas list and ended up with a copy under the tree, from my parents.

Arthur Parkinson is a young British gardening expert who, judging by his six-figure Instagram follower number (which I now count myself amongst), is apparently pretty well known, although he was unfamiliar to me before I encountered Chicken Boy. Chicken Boy is Parkinson’s love letter to hen keeping. It is impossible to easily classify the book in terms of genre: part reflection on the joys of keeping hens, part memoir of the substantial role that chickens have played in Parkinson’s life, part guide to hen keeping, part encyclopedia of the beautiful menagerie of chicken breeds. Altogether it makes for a delightful and engaging read. Parkinson’s gentle, passionate voice shines through his writing, which is unpretentious and accessible. I cannot imagine a reader who could finish this book and not want to be friends with him.

Beyond the words on the page, the book is also physically beautiful. Kudos to the publisher for creating a book that feels special and high quality, with a gorgeous cover design and color scheme that complement Parkinson’s top notch chicken illustrations and photographs, which are included on at least every other page and add so much to the experience of the book. This is the type of book that, had I borrowed it from the library to read, I would have ended up ordering a copy of for my own bookshelf.

Although it might seem like a book on hen keeping would appeal to only a niche audience, I feel confident that most readers would thoroughly enjoy it. I have neither inclination nor conducive circumstances to raise chickens anytime soon (although I generally enjoy reading about agrarian life and have always been fond of chickens), but Chicken Boy ranks among my favorite reads in recent memory.

[Jennyren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just utterly gorgeous! I greatly enjoyed reading about Arthur's life so those snippets where very welcome. Also how informative is this book! I love my chickens and this was a fantastic read.

[Mahala · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read for me as someone who keeps hens. I’m not sure how entertaining it would be for someone who doesn’t, as the memoir style of the beginning of the book transitions to much more of a “how to” guide later throughout. Some of the information was very England specific and thus not relevant or useful to me in Australia. I loved the scratchy ink-lined watercolour illustrations throughout!

[Lesley Joy]

A mix of biography and lists of chickens for showing. I did enjoy it but it's definitely written for those keeping hens.

[Charlene Soan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm resisting the urge to go and give my ladies a big cuddle after finishing this delightful book, (it's night time, they're sleeping).

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fabulous non-fiction title to read, and I enjoyed it very much.

If you would like to read my full review please visit my blog at:

https://leftontheshelfbookblog.blogsp...