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Chicken Butt!
You know what?
What?
Chicken butt!
The classic schoolyard joke has been recast as an irreverent picture book, with call-and-response parts for parent and child. The word repetition in Erica S. Perl’s text, and wonderfully comic illustrations by beloved artist Henry Cole, make this a particularly inviting book for new readers, as does the opportunity to “trick” a parent or other adult into participating in a very silly joke. The humor builds to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Warning: Kids will want to read this one over and over and over again! “An unhinged piece of slap-happy rhyming…rocket-propelled artwork…the romp is a powerful piece of cacophony, more frenetic by the moment.”—Kirkus Reviews
What?
Chicken butt!
The classic schoolyard joke has been recast as an irreverent picture book, with call-and-response parts for parent and child. The word repetition in Erica S. Perl’s text, and wonderfully comic illustrations by beloved artist Henry Cole, make this a particularly inviting book for new readers, as does the opportunity to “trick” a parent or other adult into participating in a very silly joke. The humor builds to a surprising and satisfying conclusion. Warning: Kids will want to read this one over and over and over again! “An unhinged piece of slap-happy rhyming…rocket-propelled artwork…the romp is a powerful piece of cacophony, more frenetic by the moment.”—Kirkus Reviews
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2009
2 people are currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
Erica S. Perl
56 books112 followersErica S. Perl is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 40 popular and critically acclaimed books for young readers. She won the National Jewish Book Award and a Sydney Taylor Silver Medal for her middle grade novel, ALL THREE STOOGES. She is also the author of many well-loved picture books, including THE NINTH NIGHT OF HANUKKAH and GOATILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS, as well as several book serieses (including the TRUTH OR LIE nonfiction series). She is the co-author, with Dolly Parton, of the BILLY THE KID picture book series. She is also the co-author, with R.J. Palacio, of WHITE BIRD: A NOVEL. A crowd-pleasing presenter, Erica is available for school visits, bookstore, and library events. Follow her @ericaperl on social media and visit her website to connect with her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews
March 25, 2017
Guess what?! Chicken butt.... and so it starts, continuing on with funny and cute little ideas through this story, whose momentum is more the photos than the words. Neo is still laughing at this one, laying in bed.
November 20, 2010
If you love the sound of your child laughing until you think he just might pee his pants
If you love the feel of your little four year old’s pudgy fingers on your cheeks, while she shouts, “You know what!” into your face
If you love to see your kid running around the room, flailing his arms in the air, singing “monkey butt, duckie butt, elephant butt, any-animal-I-can-think-of butt”
Then, CHICKEN BUTT! is for you.
Okay, so this book can be exhausting. It’s a bit like giving kids noisy toys—you give them lots of material to make you crazy. But it’s a good kind of crazy, because every giggle and wiggle lights you up inside and makes you feel like you have fulfilled your purpose in life.
I have no idea what teachers would make of this book, though—maybe this is one to read at the end of the day right before Mom and Dad come to collect the rugrats, but I’d say it’s one to have in the library for sure. Your kids will LOVE you and think you’re the coolest teacher in the world. Because you don’t just teach them their letters and colors and numbers—you teach them laughter.
I’ve never had so much fun reading a book with my four year old. She has memorized every word in this book. And yeah, it’s simple. No major lessons to be learned in this. Wait. I take that back. Here’s what your child will learn:
It is OKAY for adults to romp and play and laugh and be silly so-yeah-that-means-that-someday-when-you’re-all-grown-up-you-can-too-kid. You enjoy the sound of their laughter sokeepitupkiddo. And you have the best, most bounciest reading lap in the whole world because no one can read this book sitting still. Oh, and one more: laughter makes every bump, bruise, and stolen toy seem far, far away.
So. Yeah. CHICKEN BUTT! is a keeper. You’ll get a lot of mileage with it, because they’ll ask you to read it over and over. And it’s crazy fun. I recommend reading it when you need a boost of energy.
Recommended for ages 4-8.
If you love the feel of your little four year old’s pudgy fingers on your cheeks, while she shouts, “You know what!” into your face
If you love to see your kid running around the room, flailing his arms in the air, singing “monkey butt, duckie butt, elephant butt, any-animal-I-can-think-of butt”
Then, CHICKEN BUTT! is for you.
Okay, so this book can be exhausting. It’s a bit like giving kids noisy toys—you give them lots of material to make you crazy. But it’s a good kind of crazy, because every giggle and wiggle lights you up inside and makes you feel like you have fulfilled your purpose in life.
I have no idea what teachers would make of this book, though—maybe this is one to read at the end of the day right before Mom and Dad come to collect the rugrats, but I’d say it’s one to have in the library for sure. Your kids will LOVE you and think you’re the coolest teacher in the world. Because you don’t just teach them their letters and colors and numbers—you teach them laughter.
I’ve never had so much fun reading a book with my four year old. She has memorized every word in this book. And yeah, it’s simple. No major lessons to be learned in this. Wait. I take that back. Here’s what your child will learn:
It is OKAY for adults to romp and play and laugh and be silly so-yeah-that-means-that-someday-when-you’re-all-grown-up-you-can-too-kid. You enjoy the sound of their laughter sokeepitupkiddo. And you have the best, most bounciest reading lap in the whole world because no one can read this book sitting still. Oh, and one more: laughter makes every bump, bruise, and stolen toy seem far, far away.
So. Yeah. CHICKEN BUTT! is a keeper. You’ll get a lot of mileage with it, because they’ll ask you to read it over and over. And it’s crazy fun. I recommend reading it when you need a boost of energy.
Recommended for ages 4-8.
April 20, 2009
So here’s the question: How do you feel about a raucous storytime? Are you pro or con? Cause that’s what you’re going to have if you pull this one out during read-aloud. There are children’s books that work well when shared, then you have books like Chicken Butt, that are created for group settings. Say goodbye to the “fouth wall”, as readers are invited into the story from page one. While the central joke isn’t new, this winning combination of humor and the element of surprise will make for a memorable read aloud.
When the title of a book is chicken butt, you can imagine where things are going. After a lost chicken follows a brown-haired boy home, he decides to spring that age old question, “You know what?”, upon his unsuspecting father, who responds with a simple, “What?” The answer (”Chicken butt!”) comes when the page is turned, with the chicken providing a visual aid. A series of similar question-and-answer exchanges ensue, with a range of fowl anatomy (thigh, eyebrow, etc.) brought into the mix. The father eventually grows weary of this game and wants to put an end to it. But the boy, using all his powers of persuasion, gets his dad to answer one last question - the answer to which will be a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
If you’ve read Leslie Helakoski’s Big Chickens than you’re familiar with Henry Cole. Loose and expressive, Cole’s illustrations set the right mood for this sort of story.
Really, this is less of a review than it is a question. Are you ready for the sort of rip-roaring storytime that this book promises? While adults (like the one in the book) may not be thrilled with the premise of Chicken Butt, kids will be unquestionably sold.
When the title of a book is chicken butt, you can imagine where things are going. After a lost chicken follows a brown-haired boy home, he decides to spring that age old question, “You know what?”, upon his unsuspecting father, who responds with a simple, “What?” The answer (”Chicken butt!”) comes when the page is turned, with the chicken providing a visual aid. A series of similar question-and-answer exchanges ensue, with a range of fowl anatomy (thigh, eyebrow, etc.) brought into the mix. The father eventually grows weary of this game and wants to put an end to it. But the boy, using all his powers of persuasion, gets his dad to answer one last question - the answer to which will be a sure-fire crowd pleaser.
If you’ve read Leslie Helakoski’s Big Chickens than you’re familiar with Henry Cole. Loose and expressive, Cole’s illustrations set the right mood for this sort of story.
Really, this is less of a review than it is a question. Are you ready for the sort of rip-roaring storytime that this book promises? While adults (like the one in the book) may not be thrilled with the premise of Chicken Butt, kids will be unquestionably sold.
October 24, 2009
Want to laugh yourself silly with a 5-year-old? Want to hear a child quoting a picture book back to you (for days on end, and quite possibly, weeks)? Then this book is for you, my friend.
The immaturity of this book is simultaneously ridiculous, hilarious, and contagious. Three 'ous'es. Stellar.
Designed for two voices to read in tandem, this is the perfect book to read on a bummer day, or any time when you're hoping for a tickle fight. Because tickle fights are so going to happen with this one.
I guarantee if you add this to your library it will never touch the shelves again.
5 stars for its tickle-fight-starting powers alone.
If you'd like to hear the book read aloud by one of my 1st-grade students (Nathan, who is completely hilarious), you can listen here: http://podcast2.mid-del.net/groups/kh...
-- And just so you know, author Erica Perl gave us permission--plus, she loved it!
The immaturity of this book is simultaneously ridiculous, hilarious, and contagious. Three 'ous'es. Stellar.
Designed for two voices to read in tandem, this is the perfect book to read on a bummer day, or any time when you're hoping for a tickle fight. Because tickle fights are so going to happen with this one.
I guarantee if you add this to your library it will never touch the shelves again.
5 stars for its tickle-fight-starting powers alone.
If you'd like to hear the book read aloud by one of my 1st-grade students (Nathan, who is completely hilarious), you can listen here: http://podcast2.mid-del.net/groups/kh...
-- And just so you know, author Erica Perl gave us permission--plus, she loved it!
July 28, 2016
Stephani and I laughed and laughed and laughed. There's a reason we are children's librarians...we act like 6 year olds.
September 16, 2011
Horrified by the word "butt" are you?
Well: BUTT! BUTT! BUTT! BUTT! BUTT!
Still with me?
Fine if you've got a toddler/preschooler and don't want them saying "butt". But if you've got a grade schooler and live in anything but a hermetically sealed bubble, odds are it's in their playground vocabulary. And "Guess what? Chicken BUTT!" may be one of their playground call and responses.
This was NOT the case in my long ago NYC playground, but apparently it is in my daughter's Northern Virginia one. Found it weird, but then she used to say "nanny nanny boo boo" when any proper Bronx child knows it's "nyah, nyah, nyah-nyah NYAH!
On the other hand, she's 12 now. So why did this suddenly come into her vocabulary this summer?
No matter.
It's perfect timing on the part of Erica Perl. Book is going home with me tonight.
And I expect that her partner in crime Fred the Sock Monkey will like the ending. A lot!
(He did. Rated it "50 bananas. Not as many as Banana, but that's to be expected...)
Well: BUTT! BUTT! BUTT! BUTT! BUTT!
Still with me?
Fine if you've got a toddler/preschooler and don't want them saying "butt". But if you've got a grade schooler and live in anything but a hermetically sealed bubble, odds are it's in their playground vocabulary. And "Guess what? Chicken BUTT!" may be one of their playground call and responses.
This was NOT the case in my long ago NYC playground, but apparently it is in my daughter's Northern Virginia one. Found it weird, but then she used to say "nanny nanny boo boo" when any proper Bronx child knows it's "nyah, nyah, nyah-nyah NYAH!
On the other hand, she's 12 now. So why did this suddenly come into her vocabulary this summer?
No matter.
It's perfect timing on the part of Erica Perl. Book is going home with me tonight.
And I expect that her partner in crime Fred the Sock Monkey will like the ending. A lot!
(He did. Rated it "50 bananas. Not as many as Banana, but that's to be expected...)
December 22, 2017
Oh my gosh. This book. I had kids in my storytime rolling on the floor they were laughing so hard. Even the parents were cracking up. Then I brought it home to my 5-year old, and he laughed so hard he couldn’t speak. It was so much fun. It is an old joke. I maybe would have giggled if I had read this on my own. But reading it out loud to kids makes this one a great experience.
May 25, 2019
No real story to this book, and maybe my kids were having an off day, but it did not make them giggle.
August 18, 2009
I got to watch two little girls in my library read this book to each other. I worried that they'd pee the chairs, they were laughing so hard. That, in my opinion, is one of the highest accolades a picture book can get. They read the book out loud, read it again, made their mom listen to them read it - a treat for me to see. While I may find the plot on the simple side (boy bugs his dad with the old "know what?" joke), I can totally see why some kids will love this one. And Henry Cole's art gets me every time!
February 4, 2010
I'm regretting bringing this one home. Conversation at our house:
"Mommy-- you know what?"
"What?"
Chicken Butt!
"Mommy-- you know what?"
"What?"
Chicken Butt!
August 17, 2011
There is nothing academic to say about this book..... it's just plain, fun!! I can't help but laugh when we read it!
August 22, 2011
This is pretty hilarious and I can't believe I haven't read it before today. I'm guessing I need to make a purchase.
October 17, 2014
I don't know why I love books about tushies and underwear, lol.
May 18, 2020
Found this in hoopla, as an ebook, while i was browsing and this made me nostalgic about my childhood. “Chicken Butt!” Is as funny and annoyingly funny as I remember it growing up. This is a nice and wonderful book to share with kids or those younger than you. You both can enjoy the Chicken Butt joke. The illustrations are good and the ending was got me unexpectedly. I finished reading this book, although short, with a smile on my face and a satisfied read through.
December 2, 2017
I am a 5 year old deep in my heart, so this one made me laugh out loud. I think it would be a great one to be shared with silly boys and girls who love the sound of the word BUTT. And who doesn't? :P
April 14, 2019
I loved this book. Few books make me laugh out loud when I am reading them and this book made me do that all the way through. I loved the word play and the clever wit that was supplied throughout.
Guided reading: N
DRA Level: 18
Traits: voice, presentation
Guided reading: N
DRA Level: 18
Traits: voice, presentation
November 5, 2024
As a kid I loved it. Very good childlike humor, and jeez it was infectious. In fact, my initial interest in the book was because other kids were constantly asking me "Guess what?" and so after being told chicken butt so many times of course I had to find out what the heck was going on.
July 14, 2017
My children LOVE this book and the hilarity that goes with the joke. I appreciated the opportunity to talk about rhyming words and other potential ends to the joke.
September 6, 2017
This book cracks Tess up!
August 25, 2018
Super cute picture book based off of the Chicken Butt joke :) My 5 year old loved it!
October 18, 2018
Chicken butt?! B
December 5, 2018
Guess what?
February 8, 2019
My son does this to me all the time he loved it.
February 26, 2019
Berry is obsessed! :)
October 4, 2019
This is such a classic read! It has the classic jokes kids always tell. I told the jokes growing up and still find them kind of funny. The book is full of color and fun illustrations.
April 28, 2020
E-Book
April 2020
Quetta
Really funny!
April 2020
Quetta
Really funny!
June 2, 2020
You Know What?
Chicken Butt!
Never gets old
Chicken Butt!
Never gets old
July 5, 2020
Silly childhood fun... "Guess What?...", "Chicken Butt", kids will surely enjoy this farm yard ROAR!
July 9, 2020
My child loves this book! Expect a week of your little one asking "Guess What!"
October 6, 2020
I can see why children would love this and how quickly it would drive their adult absolutely up. the wall. Book is entirely based on the classic "guess what" "chicken butt" call and response.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 128 reviews