Nugget the Space Chicken and the Dragon of Ishenor

by Jean Davis, Morgan Davis (illustrator)

Traveling in space with a pet chicken has its challenges.

Jasper and Opal's first mission with their scientist parents is to study the world of Ishenor to see if it could be a home for humans. They travel to the planet's surface with Nugget, their pet chicken, to collect samples. Everyone has a job to do.

While their parents explore the landscape, Opal gathers plants and Jasper collects rocks. Nugget's job is to stay out of trouble, but hunting for bugs leads her to a lost baby dragon.

Can Opal, Jasper, and Nugget get the dragon home safely before their parents return, or will they all be grounded forever?

This fun science fiction adventure series is aimed at kids ages 6-8.

66 pages, Paperback

Published March 22, 2025

About the author

Jean Davis lives writes an array of science fiction, fantasy and horror as well as children's books about her chickens. When not writing, she can be found playing in her garden, enjoying a glass of wine, or lost a good book.

Reviews

[Vera West · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son and I started this book together and then I abandoned him and binged it on my own. 😅 It's a lovely story, very fun and we enjoyed it immensely.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met the author at a comic con. She is very nice and gave a lecture on self publishing. I decided to check out her books after and a kid oriented book caught my eye. Now i am NOT the target audience, i am a 37m with no children. I was curious more than anything what i kid oriented chapter book would be like. Other things impressed me from her booth:
1) She travels with a chicken you can pet. This is a book about a space chicken on an away mission.
2) She has legit swag. This book came with a bookmark with stickers of the characters (My niece LOVES stickers) . Also got a mini tote bag to carry my book stash.
3) I attended her talk about self publishing more for my friend who is aiming to be an author, (i am his proof reader and help motivate him to continue to work on it), Jean's insight on the perks and perils of self publishing was interesting to learn, just as an avid reader.

First thing to know this is i think level 1 reading meaning it is for ages under 7. This is one step above Dr. Seuss. A step or two below R.L.Stine's, Goosebumps. I finished the book in maybe 30 mins. The chapters at most are 3 pages. Has cute artwork. I would have probably enjoyed this a ton 30+ years ago when i was first getting into reading. I am going to share this with my Niece who has hatched chickens and a friend that may be attempting to write his own children based sci-fi story.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I know I'm way older than the target audience for this book, but it's such a fun adventure, that parents and kids alike are going to love reading this! Nugget has quite the personality for a chicken, just like many pets do, and Jasper and Opal might have different hopes for their futures, but they work well together as a brother-sister duo. The story itself is interesting, with the whole family traveling through space and exploring different planets. Things move along at a good pace, and the chapters are short, good for readers that are transitioning from traditional picture books to longer books, but aren't quite ready for middle grade level ones. The illustrations are fun and compliment the story.

[David W. Cofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cute little children's story of Opal, her brother Jasper, and their pet chicken Nugget. Opal and Jasper's parents are going on a mission to the planet Ishenor to determine if the planet can support human life. The children are now old enough to go on the mission with their parents, so the entire family goes together. I won't spoil the story, but it is a wonderfully told tale, full of adventure.

While the book has science fiction elements, it is not a traditional science fiction story. The book is beautifully illustrated and was a delight to read, whether you are a young child or an adult.