The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane Auch

From the Publisher

This hilarious picture book, which offers an egg-cellent overview of the creative writing process for anyone who's ever wanted to peck out a story, brings back the beloved protagonist of Souperchicken.

Henrietta loves to read so much she decides to write a book of her own. With the help of her three old aunties, she hatches a plot, gives her character lots of problems, and writes what she knows. But when Henrietta publishes her story, the critics say she's laid an egg! Is this the end of Henrietta's career as an author?

Children's Literature

Henrietta, the hen star of Souperchicken, returns in another pun- and fun-filled story. The book-loving chicken is in "eggstasy" reading books from the library by herself and aloud to her aunts. She decides that writing books must be "eggshilerating." She begins following the rules in a book about how to write by starting her story about an imaginary character named Maxine. Busy at her "Hunt & Peck" typewriter, glasses perched on beak, with input from her fellow chicks, she then works at developing her plot, writing "what you know," building suspense, and using all five senses. She follows the final rule: "the main character must solve her (or his) own problem." When a publisher rejects her story, she publishes it herself. She is delighted to have her book voted "best book of the year" by the local children in their story hour. Henrietta and her lively anthropomorphic friends help the tale along with speech balloons that are often illustrated with alternate plot possibilities, creating a book within a book. Several pages show the book being produced. But it is all high comedy, starring a most delightful fowl created with oil paints and computer manipulation. Along with the fun, however, are good rules for aspiring young authors to follow. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2

Henrietta the chicken, star of Souperchicken (Holiday House, 2003), is an avid library user and decides that because reading is so much fun, "writing books must be eggshilarating." She finds a manual of writing rules and creates her own story-with the unsolicited help of the other fowl. When it is rejected by a publisher, Henrietta decides to self-publish. She takes a copy to her librarian, who tells her to send it to The Corn Book Magazine for review. Henrietta gets another rejection: "odoriferous." Then she wanders into the library at storytime and sees that her book was chosen best of the year by the children. Henrietta is asked to read it aloud. "She read with dramatic expression. Of course, all the children heard was BUK, BUK, BUK...." The illustrations, a combination of oil paints and digital technology, are bold and colorful. The pictures are busy, with Henrietta at her typewriter while her friends cavort around her. There are imagined scenes in cloud shapes, word balloons, and jokes aplenty. A droll chicken with a repeating line adds to the humor. This offering works on two levels. It's a funny picture book that could be used as a manual on writing.-Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

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