Chicken Little and the Big Bad Wolf

The Real Chicken Little

by Sam Wedelich

If you like Mo Willems’ Pigeon, you’ll love Sam Wedelich’s Chicken Little!



Chicken Little is NOT afraid of anything, not even a wolf. No matter how big or bad he is.





In fact, she's never even seen a wolf.





So when a real wolf shows up and ruffles her feathers, what's a fretful fowl to Join the frenzied flock and fly the coop? Or find out if this newcomer is as bad as his reputation?





The plucky star of Chicken The Real and Totally True Tale goes toe-to-toe with literature's most famous villain in this brilliant comedy spun with sly wisdom.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Friendship

40 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 4, 2021

About the author

Sam is a native Texan turned New Yorker. While she’s always been cartooning and writing and drawing, her main gig for many years was in the visual display world of retail.

She worked extensively for Anthropologie and Free People for just over 5 years, before taking the leap to both pursue illustration full-time and be a stay-at-home parent to her 2 children.

Sam lives in the Bronx with her husband, kids and too many houseplants (is there such a thing?!).

Sam loves to read, bake, sing and is generally never found sitting still. You can follow along with her antics on Instagram @samwedelich or at her website: samwedelich.com

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is this the third of fourth book I've read this year about misunderstood wolves scaring and then hanging with their natural prey? This offers nothing original and doesn't even put a funny spin on the cliche. Meh.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally keeping this on hand for talking about rumor and conspiracy and checking your sources.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 6-year-old thought the story was too short. He also wanted the wolf to behave like a usual wolf. I liked the twist in the story where the wolf wasn't so bad after all and would not eat the chickens, but I felt there could have been a little bit more in the story development for the wolf to demonstrate that it was not going to behave like a typical wolf. I did like the inside humor, which made it enjoyable as an adult to read to children.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's easy to not trust a wolf. Especially when you are a chicken. But it takes a lot to scare Chicken Little. Granted, she is startled by her first encounter. But when the other chickens panic and start jumping to conclusions, Chicken Little decides it is time to do some sleuthing and separate fact from fiction about this one particular wolf. Can wolf be trusted? Let's let the fact speak for themselves!
A fun reminder that checking facts is important and so is accepting others and providing them with a place to belong.

Thank you to Scholastic for an ARC of this book!

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learn to see others as themselves not their stereotypes.
Chicken Little moves beyond the rumors to get to know the Big Bad Wolf and include him with her friends, the chickens.
Told in dialogue with simple illustration that mesh well.

[Brittany Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really love this books about the big bad wolf and how they really aren’t bad. In this tale you meet a wolf and some chickens and find out how they become friends.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Chicken Little and her latest adventure is just as funny and smart as in the first book. These books give excellent opportunities to talk about critical thinking without feeling a bit sanctimonious. In this book we learn important things like looking beyond stereotypes, accepting those who are different and how to be welcoming to those who feel like outsiders. There is also lots of humor to be found - I loved when Chicken Little is trying to run away and declares her boots aren't made for running. Her boots are the first thing that endeared me to her. They are red cowboy boots with a little heel and they are just as fab as she is.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Following up on the success of the previous picture book featuring this feathery character, Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale, this one follows Chicken Little as a presumed enemy becomes a friend. After Chicken Little has a brief encounter with Wolf, the other chickens are ready to flee or fight their enemy. But Chicken Little prefers to investigate and then simply ask Wolf if he's as bad as everyone seems to think. Older readers will chortle at the philosophical response from Wolf as he acknowledges that he has a light and a dark side, of course, but tries to make good choices. Eventually, the flock decides to befriend Wolf, invite him for a meal, and serve up kale and veggie burgers. Clever word play ["pulling the feathers over your eyes" (unpaged) and an invitation to a "pot-cluck" (unpaged) enhances the story, which may provide reassurance to those who haven't found their group or "flock" yet. Clearly, this picture book challenges the assumptions others make about wolves or anyone different from themselves. The digital illustrations feature several word balloons with exchanges between the characters as well as Wolf all decked out in athletic or athleisure wear, complete with a sweatband across his forehead.

[Thompson McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chicken Little is the bravest little chicken in the barnyard. She's smart, scientific and well-read. When she meets the Big Bad Wolf, she realizes he's not scary, simply misunderstood.

The other chickens in the coop want to fly the coop, but everyone knows chickens aren't the world's greatest flyers. Chicken Little decides to investigate why everyone is so afraid of he Wolf. She asks him if he's big and bad, and he assures her that he tries to be be a good person. He's actually a vegetarian, so there is no danger in him eating the chickens.

Poor Wolf has nowhere to go. He doesn't fit in with his pack (being a vegetarian and all), so the chickens decide he can join them. They have a "pot-cluck" dinner to help welcome him. The message of inclusion and acceptance is delivered with humor and grace.

Wonderfully captured with illustrations from the author and tongue-in "beak" writing, Chicken Little and the Big Bad Wolf is a must read for all littles. Parents will love its wit and word choices.

Highly, highly recommended! See all my reviews on Young Adult (and PB, MG and Adult) Books What We're Reading now

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed from ARC from the publisher.

The follow-on title to Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale (Scholastic, c2020).

Chicken Little helps to dis-spell the rumors flying around about the Big Bad Wolf and invites him to join their pack.

Wedelich has given a great example of how/why it is important to fact check rumors and empathize with those who are the victims of rumors. The story begins on the very first printed page: the title page and ends with the last page that includes publishing information. Very punny and very funny, the presence of the wolf serves as a device to split the chickens into two groups: Fight or Flight.

Artwork is very simple, with fairly basic line drawings colored in with shades of brown and gold, red, gray, and purple. Sight gags work well with the rapid-fire dialogue. Very appealing for the target age group.

Largely told in conversation/word bubbles, this would be a great title for young readers to adapt into a reader's theater presentation.

Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 2.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Scholastic for an ARC of this book!

I don't know that I've ever read a Chicken Little book. I may have read the first one when I was a kid, but I don't really remember. So, I'm going to say that Chicken Little and the Big Bad Wolf is my first Chicken Little reading experience and I am not disappointed.

Chicken Little and the Big Bad Wolf is the perfect blend of Chicken Little and The Three Little Pigs, minus the huffing and puffing and blowing down residential homes. I loved it! It's an adorable story about Chicken Little meeting the Big Bad Wolf and has a universal theme of the importance of inclusion and not judging others based on their reputations (or judging people, period).

Readers of all ages will empathize with this story and relate to the characters; there are some especially laugh-out-loud moments, making this story humble and entertaining.

[Kristi Betts · Rating 3 out of 5]

CHICKEN LITTLE AND THE BIG BAD WOLF will help children (and hopefully adults) realize others cannot fall into one category, and assumptions cannot be made based on past experiences.

Chicken Little has an encounter with the Big Bad Wolf and quickly runs away, assuming the rumors he has heard are true. The other chickens exacerbate the situation by going into a panic.

This would could be easily incorporated into a story time about feelings, fitting in, or being excluded. Discussions could revolve around how the Wolf feels, how the chicken(s) feel, and how the students would feel if something like this were to happen to them. What could they do to make the situation better and/ or more comfortable to all?

It can also be used as an exercise in conflict resolution. What could the chickens have done differently?

[Brooke - TheBrookeList · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever and fun re-telling of Chicken Little as he meets the big, bad wolf. He's scared and flies into a tizzy, setting the coop wild with fears and plans for what to do. In the end, the flock decides on talking, inclusion, and the realization that we're all better together. A smidge heavy-handed, perhaps, but a good look at being accepting flocks. Fun illustrations and wild type makes for a great-looking story, although the handwritten style of some of the scrawling script doesn't really fit "easy reader" for my young children (just not letters they can recognize well and read). My preschooler loved, loved the story, but would have been difficult for my first-grader to read some of the characters on his own.

*small concern over the coloring of the characters/stereotyping of good/bad

Checked out at library and reviewed in consideration for Cybils Award Easy Reader shortlist for 2021.

[Sonya Bright]

This was a fun follow-up to the first book. They're twists on famous classic stories, complete with a clever main character and a cast of DRAMATIC chickens.

The second book is a little less dramatic and a bit sweeter than the original one—the Big Bad Wolf isn't who he initially seems. He's just trying to "live his best life"!

Chicken Little is a smart bird. In an era where fake news and conspiracy theories are such a big deal, it's great to have a main character who stops and thinks before she acts.

I loved the twist at the end. It was sweet.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

What do you get when you combine a character known for panicking and a character that instills fear in others? A bunch of secondary characters running around like, well...chickens. "I am SO not scared of any wolf," Chicken Little declares on the title page and then proceeds to explain that it doesn't matter because there are no one but chickens around. "Wham!" A wolf out for a jog crashes into Chicken Little and sets off a flurry of activity when the news reaches the barnyard. Wolf didn't eat Chicken Little, but does that prove anything?

Plenty of clichés are worked into the story and used to great comic effect. The chickens argue over what to do and break into "Team Fight" and "Team Flight" as they debate their options. Chicken Little channels Nancy Sinatra declaring, "These boots aren't made for running!" When everyone decides their best option is "to fly the coop," they all don aviator goggles and caps. (They do look very charming.) And one chicken even blurts out that the wolf "will huff and puff and blow our coop down!" Readers will be curious to see how the story ends.

This is a great read for classes studying folktales or fractured fairy tales. It is also a good story to start a discussion about judging people on appearances or preconceived notions. The dedication "For anyone who's had to look for a place to belong and for all the flocks that welcomed them in" offers a clue to the books' theme of welcome and inclusion. Fans who enjoyed Wedelich's Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale will be delighted at this second book, and new readers will want to search out the first book as soon as they finish this one.

Sure to be a hit among elementary and preschool readers.

[Faith Pray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay! Sam Wedelich’s Chicken is back in another plucky adventure! I picked up my copy of
CHICKEN LITTLE AND THE BIG BAD WOLF from my indie bookseller this week. It is brilliant. The Greek chorus of panic-happy poultry is back too, but with flight caps and goggles. Hilarious! And there’s a big, bad wolf. Or is he?? My favorite spread is Sherlock Chicken and her detective board, connecting all the clues. I really hope Chicken is going to have her own early chapter book folk tale mystery series! Teachers, library staff, anyone who is excited about helping kids learn critical thinking and investigative skills, these books are egg-ceptional. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Fitting in is hard.” Especially when everyone has already decided what you are and whether you can be trusted. Sam Wedelich’s picture book for preschool through grade 3 illustrates that maybe we should ask a few questions and watch a bit before we decide that the wolf is going to eat everyone. The adorable chickens are sure to appeal to younger readers and simple, straight forward text allows for plenty of elaboration by care-givers. Solid choice for libraries needing add to their picture book collection, especially those that teach such a valuable lesson. Thanks for the advance reader copy, Scholastic.

[Janet McGuire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chicken Little has been warned about the Big Bad Wolf but she isn’t afraid of anything. She has never seen the Big Bad Wolf until one day when she saw him working out. The Big Bad Wolf explains that he would never eat chickens because he is a vegetarian and likes to eat healthy. Chicken Little invites him to dinner with the other chickens and they all have a great time. The moral to this story is ‘fur and feathers stick together’.
This is a delightful picture book for K-3. It will appeal to children as well as adults for its entertaining twist on an old story. Sam Wedelich’s skillful retelling is funny and her artwork enhances the story even mote

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new Chicken Little's sequel is even better than the first! It's a fairy-tale crossover when Chicken Little meets the Big Bad Wolf... well, sure he's big, but is he really so bad? Once again, the coop is in an uproar on what to do about the wolf-- fight or flight mode, one might say! Once again, it's up to Chicken Little to calm the chickens and investigate the facts before making such unruly assumptions about a potential new friend. Almost entirely written in dialogue, this is a great story for a read-aloud!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chicken Little is not afraid of the Big Bad Wolf until the wolf runs into him. Chicken Little runs to tell the other chickens that the wolf is coming to the farm. The chickens decide to flee the barnyard, but Chicken Little points out they wouldn't even get over the fence. She goes back to talk to the wolf and it turns out the wolf is a Vegetarian and he doesn't belong to any group b/c everyone is afraid of him. The chickens throw a party to welcome him to their pack.

[AMY · Rating 2 out of 5]

This picture book looks more like a comic book with all the talk bubbles. The story is basically about Chicken Little telling all the chickens in the barnyard about her encounter with the Big Bad Wolf. Everyone is a-flutter about it. This incident obviously requires more investigation. Kids will enjoy the silly illustrations throughout. It was just ok with me but I think it will spark some discussion about what makes a character truly bad. Recommended for Grades K-2.

[Dena Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great story. While the other chickens were jumping to conclusions Chicken Little was looking at the facts. When that didn't help she went straight to the source. Sometimes people assume they know how people are without really finding out who they really are. As a young child great book as the child gets older it will take on more meaning and more to discuss.

[Bethe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chicken Little likes to investigate all the angles before making a decision. To find out why everyone thinks the big bad wolf is bad, she just asks him and receives an unexpected reply. Love the dedication line: “to anyone who’s had to look for a place to belong, and to the flocks that welcomed them in”

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chicken Little is back in another plucky (clucky?) adventure from Sam Wedelich. Loved this hilarious follow up to Chicken Little: The Real and Totally True Tale. Featuring critical thinking skills and a message about acceptance, this will get loads of laughs and foster important discussions with my 4th/5th grade readers.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun entry in the slightly-twisted traditional stories shelf, with Chicken Little forgetting her panicky ways for a more evidence based approach. The book is celebrating inclusivity and found families, but I find myself concerned about the nutritional balance of the wolf's diet. I know canines are omnivorous, but is it really safe for them to go completely vegetarian?

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun alternate to the big bad wolf.
Chicken Little (who's sporting some mighty fine red cowboy books) says she won't be afraid, but ran away...She took time to think about the encounter and helped change the flock's view.

The copyright and dedication page is at the end:

"For anyone who's had to look for a a place to belong and for all flocks that welcomed them in."

a poignant menage.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great and entertaining and would be smashing to pair with the first book for a fun storytime read for an elementary crowd.
It isn't as funny as the first because there is a, sigh, nice ending with a lovely message. As a parent and someone who believes in being nice and finding the good in people-yay. As a reader and children's librarian who gravitates to the outrageous, not so much yay.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure I liked this as much as the first one, but the message about not jumping to conclusions and judging people is cute. The dialog bubble style is fun, though at the end it felt a bit heavy-handed with the moral. Vegetarian wolf is very cute though!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this out loud to students this week and love this more and more each time. (As a side note, as a staff we are reading Daring Greatly by Brene Brown which is definitely influencing my reaction to this one) I think there are some valuable lessons here that are presented in a kid friendly manner; judgment, good vs. bad, fear.

[Cassy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun read and excellent for voices. I gave The Wolf a British accent, and the hens planning the potluck Southern 😁

I like the straightforwardness of Chicken Little, which is something we can all work on, especially grown ups.