Gimme Shelter: Misadventures and Misinformation

Chicken Squad #5

by Doreen Cronin, Stephen Gilpin (Illustrations)

The Chicken Squad is back for their fifth (mis)adventure in this “lip-bitingly funny” (School Library Journal) chapter book from the bestselling author of Click, Clack, Moo and The Trouble with Chickens.

The Chicken Squad prides themselves on being ready for anything. Marshmallow life preserves? Check. Copious bags of jellybeans for a car ride? Check. Storm shelter? Storm shelter! They need a storm shelter in case there is ever a storm. So Sugar takes it upon himself to build one in the yard. But it turns out it’s not big enough for everyone. And the big dig has unearthed some mysterious surprises.

Genres: Animals, Chapter Books, Childrens, Fiction, Juvenile, Mystery, Humor

128 pages, Hardcover

First published August 29, 2017

About the author

Doreen Cronin (born 1966) is an American writer of children's books, including Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type, a very well-received picture book illustrated by Betsy Lewin.

Reviews

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read aloud to S and D.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Chicken Squad again delights with their "Who's On First"esque banter and backyard emergencies. Sugar has begun to dig a hole for shelter from what? Tornadoes? Hurricanes? Meteors? The story continues with rigged voting, squirrel and chipmunk competition and Mama Mooch makes an appearance to defend her brood.

I appreciate the opportunity to view this ARC, but wish I could see all the illustrations. Will have to check out the book once it gets to our library shelves to get the full Chicken Squad experience. Family fun abounds!

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doreen Cronin's Chicken Squad is back in their fifth adventure. This time around the four siblings face off over a storm/meteor shelter. Sugar, who tends to take the lead, insists they must be prepared for any upcoming storms which she changes to meteors as soon as Dirt (the educated one) tells her about them. The problem is the hole isn't big enough for them and J.J. Tully (the former search and rescue dog) and their mother Moosh. This argument leads to a decision to vote (an election held by Sugar alone at 3 a.m. in the neighbors garage so she gets her way) to settle the dispute. When the digging commences another issue arises with the discovery of a bone. Further arguments about just what they have discovered as well as conflict with the neighbor boys, squirrels, and chipmunks create trouble all over the place. Cronin has created an amusing story that young readers are bound to enjoy. And Gilpin's illustrations complement the story perfectly.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Chicken Squad is back and decide to dig their own storm shelter. Suddenly they find a bone and think it may be a great archeological find. Now the squirrels and the chipmunks notice what the chickens are doing and have to get in on the act. What a spread of misinformation follows!

I love the Chicken Squad. They are crazy. Dirt is the sanest of them while Poppy and Sweetie are often lost when Sugar takes the reins. Sugar is so full of misinformation that poor Dirt has a hard time giving the facts out correctly. They are so much fun. Then J.J. has to save them all. I love his deadpan handling as he tells the story. It puts me in mind of the voice overs in the old Film Noir movies of the 40's and 50's.

I look forward to more of the Chicken Squad and J.J.

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable. Made me laugh aloud and want to read another. I'd book talk this to young readers who are starting early chapter books. There is a lot of dry humor in this book - so I'd recommend to students who have some capacity for picking up on this while reading (i.e., students who will not be confused by it).

[Jesse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute and funny, but I could NOT keep the characters straight. And why did an outside character begin the book, but then never reappear?

[Patti · Rating 1 out of 5]

No plot. Lots of sibling bickering. I need that behavior modeled to my kids like I need a hole in the head.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cronin continues with her Chicken Squad series, and like the other three, second through fourth graders will love the light-hearted goofiness. These chickens will keep kids laughing as they get even the simplist things confused-- in this case, a hole in the ground.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Chicken Squad books by Doreen Cronin and Gimme Shelter is no exception. I adore the film-noirish narration of J.J. Tully, the retired Search-and-Rescue dog who introduces each of the Chicken Squad stories, his actual role in the action varying from book to book in the series.

Gimme Shelter is almost exclusively the four members of the Chicken Squad: Sugar, Sweetie, Poppy and Dirt. This time around J.J. discovers Sugar digging a deep hole "twice as tall as she was and three times as wide." Sugar explains that she is preparing a storm shelter--because there must be a storm coming at some point, right? The four chicks tumble through the creation of the shelter with their usual conflicting ideas and nuggets of ridiculous misinformation in a brilliant blending of slapstick and wit.

These books make me laugh just as hard as the kids--sometimes more. The illustrations by Stephen Gilpin throughout continue to be the perfect match for both the story and the characters. The Chicken Squad books are ideal as a next step for young readers transitioning from books like Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie series to easy, large print chapter books like Mercy Watson and the Deckawoo Drive series by Kate DiCamillo. They are also a perfect transition step from Doreen Cronin's magnificent picture book stories to more complex plots and language. Gimme Shelter (and the rest of the Chicken Squad series) are great fun as a read-aloud in a primary classroom or at home, or as an independent read!

[Amber Webb · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doreen Cronin has done an amazing job with her picture books and my kids love them. I was excited to see this next step up with early readers from her. Sadly, I was not very impressed. The characters from the chicks to the squirrels were hilarious and I immediately fell in love with them. Cronin did an excellent job at creating characters that you felt you knew and could relate to or understand. The story line was also good. I liked the idea behind getting shelter for an unknown (at the moment) catastrophe. All that being said, I felt that the book was working too hard to teach instead of just telling the story. It felt forced. The vocabulary explanations and extensive time spent on that was just too much for the type of book it was and it really felt like it was trying to hard. This book just missed the mark for me.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sugar has decided that they need a storm shelter, so she's started digging one. The others debate whether they need a shelter or not, but decide in favor...eventually. Digging is put on hold though when they find what they think is a T-Rex bone. What have they found and do they actually need a storm shelter?

I haven't read a Chicken Squad book in ages, and I forgot how silly they were. Sugar is downright scary in the way she takes charge and doesn't listen to anyone but her own wild imagination. Kids should enjoy speculating with the chicks about what they've found buried in their hole. They also may learn some stuff about the weather, meteors, and voting rights if they don't watch out. A short and silly read for lower grade readers.

No content issues.

[Sara Houser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok these crazy chickens are seriously crazy but Doreen Cronin knew what she was doing when she wrote these silly books and that’s what they are silly. I loved the nonsensical way of thinking they have it made me laugh. These are perfect children books and I’m looking forward to the newest book coming out in 2018!!

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished reading this with my second grader. Hard not to see parallels with our current news headlines. The subtitle is “Misadventures and Misinformation.” Loved how Cronin was able to touch upon fake news, constitutionality, voting, discounting science, e pluribus unum all within this installment of the Chicken Squad series. We can’t wait for her next book!

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

117 pages. Another great episode in the continuing adventures of some silly but sometimes smart chickens. This time we find the chickens digging and considering the constitution…whaaaaat? Funny illustrations and story. Kids will love this series. Dialogue is very punny at times. Highly recommended for Grades 3-5.

[Courtney Umlauf · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute series for kids reading early chapter books. The silly humor is sure to please.

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[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found it a little clunky to read aloud. Their interactions are sometimes funny, but also sometimes confusing. I liked how the was done attempt at teaching vocabulary and concepts- meteorologist, meteor, derecho, conditionality, but I doubt it was clear enough for my 1st grader to really understand.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore the Chicken Squad, and their newest adventure does not disappoint. These fluffy chicks are as delightful and hilarious as ever. Perfect first chapter book to hand to someone who likes humor and adventure. There are always very inviting illustrations to accompany the story as well.

[Laila · Rating 3 out of 5]

The chicks are trying to build a meteor shelter with spoons stolen from the neighbor's garage. Then the squirrels and the chipmunks want to get in on the act too. My son and I have already read this book about 5 times, and he got it for Christmas. :)

[Victoria Peipert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first book in this series but I look forward to reading more!

I liked the idea of this book and the fun ways it exposes young readers to advanced real world concepts although I think some of the way Doreen Cronin frames them can still be a little heady - Sugarology, voting, etc.

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun filled, and amusing romp with the Chicken Squad covering topics in meteorology, archaeology, political correctness, word origin, voting, the U.S. Constitution and flatulence as they build a shelter for an impending storm that is brewing.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chickens are at it again in the 5th installment of misadventures and misinformation. This time they dig a hole for weather related purposes only to come across something that isn't suppose to be there.
The authors earlier books in the series are much better.

[Erin Richards · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a cute and funny, but it doesn't really flow very well. I did enjoy the small snippets of real facts in the book and I believe younger chapter books readers (late 2nd and 3rd graders) will enjoy.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The four chicks are at it again. Sugar is highly irritating and also decides to hold a vote in the middle of the night. she also makes really nonsensical suggestions which she gets the other two chicks to agree to even though Dirt knows better.

[emyrose8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5- Not as good as the last two (books 3 and 4), but still funny!

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun story in this series. This time the chicks decide to create a shelter to be ready for all types of calamities.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

my least favorite of the chicken squad.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

These chickens are ridiculous and perfect!!

[Brenda · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Chicken Squad fans will be excited to find this new addition on our shelves when they return from vacation. Utterly foolish - but that's the point.

[The Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dexter (9yo) read.

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute. I liked it.