Medio Pollito/Half Chicken

by Alma Flor Ada

Do you know why a weather vane has a little rooster on the top, spinning around to tell us which way the wind is blowing? Here is the answer in this old story about Half-Chicken, who has one eye, one leg, and one wing. His adventures take him far and wide until he's carried straight to the top, in this lively retelling--in Spanish and English--of a traditional folktale.

Genres: Picture Books, Folklore, Spanish Literature, Childrens, Animals, Folk Tales

40 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1995

About the author

(http://facebook.com/almaflorada)

Dr. Ada was the founder and First Editor in Chief of :
NABE, Journal of the National Association for Bilingual Education

She has been active for many years in various professional associations including : IRA, International Reading Association
CRA, California Reading Association
CABE, California Association for Bilingual Education
USIBBY, US Branch of the International Board of Books for Young People

She is a member of :
Advisory Board of Loose Leaf Public Radio Programs
National Television Workshop
Between the Lines
Reading Up!, Natural Head Start Association

A frequent speaker at national and international conferences, Dr. Ada also works in school districts with children, teachers and parents.

The award-winning author of numerous children’s books and a prolific translator, Alma Flor Ada is a leading mentor and philosopher of bilingual education in the United States.

She has authored several reading programs, among them two Spanish reading programs :
Cielo abierto (K-6)
Vamos de fiesta! (K-3)

and of two English reading programs :
Signatures (K-6)
Collections (K- 6)

and is a series consultant for Relatos de la historia (1-5), a Spanish social studies program developed by Harcourt School Publishers.

Among her most substantive contributions to the transmission of Hispanic culture to children are :
Música amiga, a program for learning through songs, published by Del Sol Books
Puertas al Sol - Pathways to the Sun, published by Santillana
Latino poetry, Art, and Biographies for children, published by Santillana

Dr. Ada received her Ph.D. in Spanish Literature from the Pontifical Catholic University of Lima, Perú and did post-doctoral research at Harvard University as a Fellow of the Radcliffe Institute and a Fulbright Research Scholar.

Reviews

[Mariah Roze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute book! My 2nd graders really enjoyed it.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of our reading selections for school. It was just weird. And creepy. It's a half a chicken. With half an eye, half a face, half a beak, half a body, and one leg. And he hops around. And he's a jerk. Yes, it's a legend, so it teaches the historical significance of stories becoming a part of one's culture, but seriously, there wasn't something better out there? And my 5 yr old was like, wind doesn't talk! Fire doesn't talk! Water doesn't talk! I don't like this, Mom! So, I guess it was okay. Interesting concept of where weather vanes might have come from. That's about it.

[Megan Cureton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explains the story of the weather vane and how its story came to life. One day, a chicken gave birth to baby chickens, except one was having a hard time hatching. When it finally hatched, a chicken came out with only one leg, one eye, one wing, and only half as many feathers as the others. The others soon started talking about him and he became well known. So he decided it was his time to leave town and head to the court of viceroy. On his way, he encounters some things and ends up as a chef's meal! He is in the pot, but he gets help from the things he helped along the way, and he escapes from the pot. To keep him safe, the wind takes him to on top of the building and this is where he stays, and turned into the weather vane. Spinning in the wind and pointing which ever way the wind is blowing. I really enjoyed this book. My favorite part of the story was when the wind helped the chicken and raised him up in the air to the top of the building to help prevent him from getting cooked again. Although it left me with some questions like what is the court of viceroy and why didn't he ever come down from the top of the building. I would have this book in my classroom library for my kindergarten through fourth graders. I think they would enjoy this tale and want to do some more research on this topic, just as I did when I was finished reading this book. I enjoyed the illustrations in this book. I thought they weren't too busy, to where it took away from the story, but I thought they were just enough. I also liked how the illustrations looked like the author hand drew all the images. They came off to me like the illustrator didn't want to do anything too cartoonish or something with too much detail because it would take away from the story. I also liked the color choices for the images, the illustrator didn't choose colors that would be too loud and bright and that would cause too much commotion on the pages. I also liked how the images had a bit of a Spanish feel to them. I also liked how there is a Spanish version so my ESL students will have something to read if they can't yet read in English and have something to relate to and connect with. They might like this because they are learning about their culture and possibly learning new things they might not have known about their culture or folktales.

[Michelle Abuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half Chicken/Medio Pollito by Alma Flor Ada is a bilingual book and an example of a folklore which is a fable. Furthermore, the book is also available in audio. Half Chicken is about a unique chicken with one eye, one foot, and one wing. However, even though the chicken is different for everyone, the chicken still believes in his self and continue proving and achieving his dreams. The book is appropriate for children ages 5 years old and up. I gave five stars for this book for the illustration and the moral lessons are engaging and important for the readers. I love how the story explains confidence and self-esteem. The book shows how to love and accept who we are. I can use this book to provide an explanation for self-acceptance, self-love, and self-respect. I can use this book for my class when I need to provide an explanation about believing that we are not less even though we are different from everyone. Believing that we can is the best support that we can give to our self. If we can believe that we can, we can absolutely be who we wanted to be and where we wanted to be.

[Callie]

Grade/interest level: Upper Elementary (3-5)
Reading level: Fountas-Pinnel O/Lexile 640L
Genre: Traditional Literature/Multicultural

Main Characters: Half Chicken, Water, Fire, Wind
Setting: Mexican Ranch, Great Plaza in Mexico City

Summary:
This is a Spanish folktale about a special baby chicken was born with only one wing, one eye, one leg, and half as many feathers as the other chicks. This chicken was named half-chicken. Because he was so much different than all of the other chickens, he decided that he wanted to travel to Mexico City. On his way there, he runs into the elements of water, fire, and wind and helps them with their problems. When he finally reaches Mexico City, he gets thrown into a pot of water to be cooked and eaten. Because he had helped the fire and water earlier in his journey, they help him escape. Later, the wind blows him onto the top of a palace so that he would be able to see everything. The story is meant to tell how weather vanes came to be…and to blow “whichever way their friend blows.”

Classroom use/theme:
This book I written in both English and Spanish and provides wonderful opportunities for ESL students. It could also be used to introduce some Spanish language into the classroom for non-Spanish speakers. Aside from the cultural uses of the book, Medio Pollito can be used to teach aspects of traditional literature such as Porquoi tales. One prominent theme is the idea that if you help others, they will help you in return.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really loving these folk-tales. I now can say I know how those weathercocks came to be. I loved the picture where all the little chicks are hatching and running around peeping and flapping their little wings. This may have been a tale of vanity but I saw it more as a tale of helpfulness. When little Half-chick needed help his helfpful deeds were repaid. I can't wait to be out driving and see a weather vane so I can tell the story to someone. Again, the illustrations were so colorful and you could feel the story. Great storytime book for children. They will root for the rooster. As usual, I always enjoy the author's notes and how these stories make it easy for both Spanish and English speaking children to enjoy another culture. "Hip hop hip hop, off he went, hippety-hopping along on his only foot." Another lessson he only had one foot and he made it all the way to Mexico City! Tenacity.

[Haydee Romero]

Half-Chicken is a folktale that originates from Spain. The tale is about Half-Chicken who is rushing to Mexico City to see the King but makes time to help a few friends along the way. The friends, which are the three of the four elements (wind, fire, and water), are the ones who rescue him from becoming diner in return for his help. Half-Chicken is a story for the weathercocks that stand on barns. The story is a cute little tale that can be read when teaching the four elements to help remember them through a story. I would use this text to have a creative writing session. I would have my student to come up for a story behind an object, for example, why were teddy bears invented. The author, Alma Flor Ada, uses repetition (ex. “I have no time to lose. I’m off to Mexico City to see the court of the viceroy!”) that can help engage students when reading the story. Alma Flor Ada is a Cuban born writer who writes to share stories from her childhood and to introduce Spanish to readers.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how it shows the chicken doing good deeds and that it has a happy ending. I think its creative to have a folktale about weather vanes. I would use this book to talk about manners and about helping others. I liked this book. I also liked how it had the Spanish translation on other pages.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/bo...
Interest Level
Grades 3 - 5
Reading Level
Grade level Equivalent: 4.2
Lexile® Measure: 640L
DRA: 34
Guided Reading: O
Genre
Western
Theme/Subject
Birds
Animals
Character and Values

Awards http://books.google.com/books/about/M...
Accolade from the American Folklore Association

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Mexican folktale about how an unusual chicken becomes a weather vane. This half-chicken is a legend in his little town, but he does not get the regal reception when he goes to the Viceroy's court. A humbling experience for him, but he is now a legend for all time. The illustrations add to this story. I loved reading this book, and love that on one page is the story in Spanish and on the other page is the English version of the story. Great for a classroom for English Language Learners.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I mentioned in my review of Alma Flor Ada's THE LIZARD AND THE SUN, I really enjoy legends that haven't been done to death in kidlit. I didn't love the art in this book, but I'm fascinated by the story, a reverse twist on the LITTLE RED HEN tale.

I support independent bookstores. You can use this link to find one near you or order HALF-CHICKEN on IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/hybrid?filt...

[Lauren Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mediopollito was a the telling of a traditional Spanish folktale with the option to either be read in Spanish or English. I really liked this book because I could definitely incorporate this in my classroom if I ever have ELL students whose native language is Spanish or even students who come from a Spanish background. If we are ever discussing different cultures in the classroom I could read this book aloud during Mexican Heritage Month or Cinco de Mayo.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the Spanish folktale (updated and adapted as a colonial Mexican version) explaining the creation of the first weathervane, and progresses with the familiar pacing of the folktale. The clever Mediopollito makes friends with the elements by helping them in a time of need, and they return the favor when his own fortunes turn around. Much fun!

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

With only one leg, one eye, half a beak, and half a body, Half-Chicken sets out on an adventure. Throughout this story, the tale of how the weather vane came to be is told. The tale is very interesting and a fun way to see how stories can be altered. This is a fun way to introduce the elements wind, fire, and water to students. It is also a bilingual text having English and Spanish on each page.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

When riding down a road in the country, have you ever looked up and saw a weather vane standing atop a barn? I have and when growing up I was always fascinated by them. Why was it up there? How did it get up there? Why does the chicken only have one leg?

Well, there's a story for that and here it is. A cute story about how the one-legged chicken weather vane got it's life :)

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story! The kids seem to like it too. It's a bilingual story about how the weather vane came to be. Next time I use this story I will try adding Los Pollitos dicen...to the song portion of class.

[Diane J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is funny because is about a pollito that turns
in a veleta.

[Abby Rowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was very informative and fun to show some folklore of Mexican culture! Overall, this book really looked into a chicken with one eye one leg and one wing!

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little half chicken with one leg and one wing sets out for the viceroy's court in Mexico City in this bilingual retelling of a traditional tale that has roots in Spain, but is also to be found in the lore of many Latin American countries. Helping a stream, a fire, and the wind along his journey, Half Chicken arrives at the viceroy's court, only to find himself in the soup pot. Fortunately the forces he aided—water, fire and wind—come to his rescue, and he finds himself transformed into the very first weathervane: a half chicken sitting on a roof with a view of the world, turning according to the gusts of his friend the wind...

I have seen this tale retold in picture book form before, in Eric A. Kimmel's Medio Pollito: A Spanish Tale , with artwork by Argentine illustrator Valeria Docampo. According to the brief note here from author Alma Flor Ada, this pourquoi tale explaining the origin of weathervanes originates in Spain (that is how the Kimmel retelling presents it), but can also be found throughout Latin America. The version she tells here is from her Cuban grandmother, but reset it in Mexico. I have therefore added it to my Spanish folklore, Mexican folklore and Cuban folklore shelves. Leaving all that aside, I found Mediopollito / Half-Chicken to be an engaging retelling of the tale. I appreciated the story itself—pourquoi tales are always fun!—and the fact that it is presented in both English and Spanish, with the latter being provided by translator Rosalma Zubizarreta. The colorful and engaging artwork is supplied by illustrator Kim Howard, who also worked on Rebecca Hickox's Zorro and Quwi: Tales of a Trickster Guinea Pig . Recommended to young folklore enthusiasts, and to anyone seeking bilingual picture books in both English and Spanish.

[Anne Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story that imagines the origin of the weathercock is well-written and charmingly illustrated. I love how the storyteller begins by speaking personally to the reader and asking engaging questions before starting the story. The story itself is descriptive and captivating. The illustrations go very well with the story and do a great job of depicting the various elements in nature that the main character interacts with. The water, wind, and fire are illustrated in a delightful way. They are conveyed by simple strokes such as swirls and sweeping strokes for the wind and bubbles and waves for the water. The shape of the fire is also simple yet clearly depicted as bright and powerful. This book has a great lesson for readers as the chicken is saved from a problem by those whom he has taken the time to help.

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet version of the story; well illustrated, with a nice bit of nuance.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute folktale retelling. The art is OK.

[Sandra Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a unique folk tale. The use of onomatopoeia is something that can be pointed out. The is basically a story of how the weather vane with the chicken became. A half chicken was born and in one part of the story they say the half chicken became "vain". Great play on words! The chicken makes a journey to Mexico City, helping the water, fire and wind along the way. When he is about to be cooked for the Viceroy, the water, fire and wind help him. He is flung on top of the house and points in the direction of the wind.

[Andrea Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story about a folktale of a half-chicken who is very helpful and rewarded for his good deeds.