Chicken and Cat

by Sara Varon

Friendship has never been sweeter with this charming picture book by emerging artist Sara Varon.

Cat comes to the big city to stay with best friend, Chicken. The city is exciting (and there's so much to do!) but after a while Cat pines for the country with its trees and bright colors. Chicken takes Cat on fun adventures but Cat remains blue. How can Chicken make the city a brighter and happier place for Cat to live in? When Cat gets the idea to plant a garden in an empty lot, the city blooms, and so does Chicken and Cat's friendship. With perfect doses of charm and simplicity, emerging artist Sara Varon captures the intricacies and sweetness of friendship.

Genres: Picture Books, Cats, Graphic Novels, Childrens, Friendship, Fiction, Comics

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2006

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A country cat comes to stay with his friend, the city chicken. Chicken does his or her darndest to be a good host, and the two enjoy all the delights the city has to offer, including a swell trip to Coney Island.

But . . . something's missing. Cat is not completely happy.



Then the two friends discover that through a bit of ingenuity and a little elbow grease, they can enjoy the best of both worlds.

A sweet wordless story with fun illustrations. This one begs to be looked at again and again.

[Adriana Scarpin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Os livros infantis da Sara Varon seguem o mesmo princípio das novelas gráficas de uso exclusivo de linguagem visual, o que torna as coisas ainda mais próximas da sofisticação de certos cineastas do cinema mudo.
Nesses dois livrinhos de Chicken and Cat ela outra vez discorre sobre a amizade, o primeiro a respeito do florescimento da mesma e o segundo sobre o respeito às diferenças. São bem bonitos.
Tem ambos os livros para emprestar na biblioteca do archive.org.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cat comes into the city to visit his old friend, Chicken and the two have a variety of adventures from planting a garden to visiting the sites around the city.

But as Cat pines for home, the two decide to brighten things up by planting a guardian across the street.

Wonderful illustrations tells the story of Cat and Chicken. There is no narration to the story, leading Daddy to point out things and make silly sounds to illustration the various adventures.

We read this one after the sequel about Cat and Chicken cleaning up, but don't feel like we had anything about this one SPOILED by reading out of order.

[Brianna Jones]

Genre: wordless picture book

Reading Level: emergent: ages 2-7

Topics and Themes: Two friends spend the day together in the city. Defiantely explores the theme of friendship.

Curricular Use: Have students write a story to go along with the pictures.

Social: Shows two friends interacting and having fun together. The Chicken and Cat spend a day in a large city. It may be hard for children to relate to the activities the pair do together, such as riding on a subway, if the students are from a more rural area. It would be a good idea to compare these two "city friends" to what your students enjoy doing in the country.

Literary Element: Actions and events depicted in the photographs are used to tell the story.

Text and Pictures:This book contains no text except for a few store names printed in the illustrations. The pictures really encompass the story even without words to go along. The illustrations get the reader involved with the book using the characters gaze and color.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obviously cute drawings by Sara Varon, and the wordlessly communicated story is a nice one that allows for conversation when the book is over. Unlike almost every single other book I've read that is about country vs city, this one ends up taking positive aspects of both and fusing them in the end. I can't tell you how disappointed city/country books always make me, since they almost always have a pro-country agenda and the hero usually retreats to the world they always knew with an exciting story from that unliveable, cold place known as the city/hell. What a refreshing change, and a positive message for kids struggling to adjust to a move from the country to the city.

[Lindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super charming wordless book on the Country Mouse/City Mouse theme. Country Cat visits City Mouse and is both amused by the fun stuff to do in the city and dismayed by the concrete and lack of color, so together they plant a garden in an abandoned lot. Filled with funny touches that children won't necessarily catch (like the hardware shop's bleach and ammonia bottles shelved very close to one another) but that adults will appreciate.

[Hannah Scully · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Cat comes to visit Chicken in New York, the two friends explore the city and special places inside of it. Cat’s eyes are always drawn to the natural parts of the city and also, the places that are lacking nature. So, with the help of his good friend Chicken, Cat sets out to bring color and life to the city.
The comic life illustrations of this wordless picture book allow Varon to show the reader what the characters are focused on or looking at, which becomes something that the reader really has to focus on to follow the storyline. It is clear that the two friends are exploring the city, but without the added detail of dotted lines showing the reader Cat’s sightline, some of the major themes are hard to articulate. The illustrations, while being overall simple and fairly rounded, are have great details that allow the reader to determine that the setting is New York City and vastly different than Cat’s home. The colors used are also very important to this picture book. The cityscapes are often in muted grays and light muted browns, very dull and industrial. However, Central Park and any scene having to do with nature are much bolder, brighter and colorful, suggesting a happier and more fun place to be in. The characters also look more satisfied and fitting within the color themes in these more colorful scenes. Cat, for example, has bright yellow fur that sticks out among the city scenes, but blends in quite nicely with Central Park and Coney Island beach. The color use is very powerful and effective in this wordless picture book. It is clear Varon is a big fan of nature and misses it in her portrayal of a somewhat boring cityscape.

[Destiney Dickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Literature Requirement: Wordless
Book format: Paper/hardcover
Genre: Fiction
Number of pages: 40
Copyright: 2006 Sara Varon

This wordless book is about a blossoming friendship between Chicken and Cat. In the beginning of the book, Cat doesn't look very happy even though he is with Chicken. As they wander around the city he notices the bugs, trash, and dogs. Even though the two go on fun adventures together, like biking, he still does not seem to be enjoying himself. It is However, when the two lay out on the beach, the reader Cat finally looks happy. However, afterward he goes back to being sad. Chicken notices this and wants to make him happy. Chicken takes him to a store and points out a flower. When Cat sees this there is a look of pure joy on his face. The two buy flower seeds and plant them together. Watching them grow and being surrounded by the flowers makes both content and happy.

The illustrations in this book are well done. However, the reader must pay close attention to the expressions of both Cat and Chicken to fully understand the story. I think that the book teaches a great lesson about friendship and trying new and enjoyable things together. I really liked how the flowers were used to represent the growing relationship between the two characters as well.

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this is a wordless book, the pictures need to tell the story and they do a great job. I like how the illustrator uses a lot of grays and browns to show the city. On page 5, she uses dashes to help the reader see what Cat is looking at. It helps the reader to understand what he is thinking, such as the scene where Cat is walking on the sidewalk and the dashes help us know he is noticing the piles of garbage on the sidewalk. Once Chicken takes Cat to the park, the colors change into blues and greens with very little grays and browns. On page 24, Chicken takes Cat to a hardware store to buy a plant. The illustrator chooses to have the flower be the bright, colorful focal point of the page, just like the flower gives Cat color in his life. The final pictures where Chicken and Cat plant the flowers, show the brown dirt (just like living in a city) surrounded by colorful flowers. This helps the reader see that Cat has finally learned to enjoy living in the city.

[Hank Sutherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Chicken and Cat" is a book that covers many deep themes, following two best friends, Chicken and Cat. Cat is sad that New York, the city he loves, is covered with roaches, trash, and overall filth. The two go on various journeys to the park, the subway, and Coney Island, all while Cat is slowly becoming more and more sad. Finally the two friends plant a garden across the street from Cat, and when the flowers blossom, the two friends are seen smiling together. But because there are no words in this story, the best part of the book are its illustrations. The pictures are detailed and describe the New York scenery, from city parks to boat rides to a trip to an amusement park. My favorite image of the entire book is when Cat is looking at a yellow flower, and you can see the reflection in his eyes as he grins widely. This book is appropriate for all ages, as it is wordless. The themes are wholesome, including those of loving friends and loving nature. While it can be used at all ages, I believe it would be best used at the Second Grade level.

[Liz Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz Good
Chicken and Cat by Sara Varon
Chicken and Cat is a very sweet picture book that is about a friendship between Chicken and Cat. Cat goes to visit Chicken in the city and is very entertaining, but after a little while, Cat dreams about going to the country. Chicken wants Cat to be happy so they keep going on fun adventures (they even go to Coney Island), but still Cat is upset. Then, cat decides that planting a garden would be a good idea. When the garden comes to life, Chicken and Cat become happier and their friendship deepens. The book could teach children about the importance of friendship, connection, and selflessness. I would recommend this book for children ages 3-9. Although, the story and pictures are adorable and people of all ages might enjoy this book.

[Kylie Mcgrath · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has no words except a couple store names labeled. But cat is from the country, meanwhile chicken is from the city. Cat comes to the city to visit his friend chicken. While cat and chicken are on their many adventures like exploring the city and planting, cat gets sad. To help cat, chicken and cat plant a garden across the street. Because there are no words, the illustrations make up the entire book. The illustrations are very white and yellow based colored because that’s the colors of chicken and cat. The illustrations also remind me of cartoon characters the way they are projected. Overall, this is an easy book that technically anyone could read since there are no words. But I would suggest for PreK-1st graders.

[Lauren Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is different then any other picture book I have seen. This book has no words and is all pictures. The most important thing for these kinds of books is making sure that the pictures tell the story. Since there are no words, I think this book did just that. The pictures told the story. Cat isn't a huge fan of the big city and is sad for awhile, but then chicken tries to make the situation better and in the end, the friendship blooms into something stronger then ever.
This book is great to show to your students/ kids and show how strong friendships can really be. Overall a very nice book and would have it on my shelf in my future classroom.

[Jamie Macaluso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nicely made wordless picture book! I did have to go through it once or twice to understand what was really going on and its important to pay attention to detail with this book! Its about a chicken from the city and a cat from the country. The chicken is showing the cat around and they decide to grow flowers. Facial expressions give a lot in this book.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy wordless books because the reader has the opportunity to write their own story. This is one of those books.

Cat is visiting chicken in the city. But Cat is looking at things with a look of distress on his face. The ending reveals why.

[Liz Todd · Rating 3 out of 5]

I adore wordless books.. the illustrations in this one are super-simple and easy to read. I love that about this book. Somehow, though, I feel like the pictures didn't really clearly communicate some important parts of the story.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed being able to tell a story even though there are no words.

[BiblioBeruthiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love her (mostly) wordless books! Her illustration style is adorable and gives so much information without the need for speech.

[Tanvir Muntasim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this cute little picture book with my son! :)

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Kristen Thorp · Rating 4 out of 5]

171/365

[Trent M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read to Gunnar

[Lorena · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rarely do I say this, but this book was stupid.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I prefer Robot Dreams, Bake Sale and New Shoes. Chicken and Cat is a good beginner book introducing the work of Sara Varon and graphic novel format.

[Drew Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cat comes to visit his friend Chicken in the city. They have a good time but something's missing. Then Cat has an idea.

I don't know, this just didn't do it for me. It's simple and sweet but I thought it was lacking somehow. The illustrations are unique but I didn't love the style. Anyway, a wordless book is always fun.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I didn't realize this was a picture book. The only reason I picked it up was because the word "cat" was in it and the font was really cool. I would definitely use this book in my classroom. I would have students look at the pages and re-create their own versions of the story. I read this story with my friend and she told the story as chicken and I told my part as the cat. It was fun and we both laughed.

[MissAnnThrope · Rating 4 out of 5]

31 January 2013

Chicken and Cat is a sweet story about the friendship between a country cat and a city chicken. Cat visits Chicken in the big city, and soon begins to feel overwhelmed by the dreary gray concrete of the city architecture. Outdoor adventures to Central Park and Coney Island provide temporary reprieve, but Cat still longs for the vibrance of country life. Together, they remedy the situation by growing their own little garden oasis in the middle of the city.

Having previously moved from a tropical paradise to a concrete jungle, this story really resonated with me. I, too, need plant life surrounding me or I start to feel really disconnected. I also loved how Chicken understood how Cat was feeling without Cat ever having to say anything, and Chicken quickly remedied the problem. That also reminded me of my friendship with my dearest friend whom I seem to share the same brain with. Friends like that are a rare breed.

I find Sara Varon's drawings to be so charming. They give me a comforting feeling like being around a longtime friend. They're so warm and inviting, and just make me happy. I adore her work.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a couple "readings" to fully get this story. Cat from the country visits Chicken in the City (yes, that City). Cat is distraught by the urban scene but a visit to Central Park and Coney Island helps. They start a pea-patch in a lot across the street. The illustrations create a contrast of somber tones for the city and bright colors for the outdoors. When I was doing biological field work I sometimes spent a few months without being in a major city. I experienced a similar shock to Cat when I first returned to a city - the traffic, noise, dirt, and lack of nature. I like to think that trips to the woods can help combat acclimatization and acceptance.

[Mandy Scheuren]

It is found on the inside page that Sara Varon did her illustrations in ink and PhotoShop. The colors are consistent on each page. Most of the colors are blue, gray and brown while the chicken is white and the cat is yellow. The illustrations take up the whole page and do not contain text. Some pages are divided into halves or fourths, telling that part of the story only with more detail. It shows the chicken and cat getting ice cream together at a pink ice cream stand. The pink really “pops” out which seems to be the first place my eyes were drawn to when opening that particular page. Varon also did a great job with detailed illustrations in the background.

[Lucas Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. The story was told through only illustrations, the only one I have read all year. I liked how it was easy to follow along with the story even though there was no text. The story was basically about a cat and chicken that travel around and do everything together, they seemed like they were best friends. I liked it because it reminded me of the close friends I had when I was younger and how I used to do the same kind of things. I think the fact that it was two animals that don't get along in real life was kinda cool. I think the message was that even if you are not from the same culture, or background that you can still set aside your differences and become best friends.