PICTURE BOOK REVIEW : Interrupting Chicken Saves the Nutcracker by David Ezra Stein
ABOUT THE BOOK
“Hi, Clara! Like my tutu?”
“Ahem,” said the narrator.
“Chicken!” said Papa. “You can’t go onstage!”
It’s winter vacation for the little red chicken and, with promises of best behavior, she’s on her way to see The Nutcracker with Papa. She can’t wait! In fact, she’s so excited that Papa is worried she might get a little carried away . . . Take your seats and get ready to giggle as a certain irrepressible audience member dances onstage at key moments, determined to save the nutcracker from that bully Fritz and the sword-wielding Mouse King. But what happens when a revered classic has its storyline turned on its head? In this special holiday tale for loyal followers and new fans alike, David Ezra Stein moves the meta from page to stage as Chicken gleefully breaks the fourth wall.
REVIEW
When Papa Chicken and little Chicken head to the theater to watch the Nutcracker ballet, Papa asks Chicken to promise not to interrupt the performance. But of course, anyone who has read the title of the book or one of the three previous stories about Papa and Chicken will quickly realize that interrupting is exactly what Chicken will be doing. As in the previous volumes, the performance gets interrupted several times by Chicken trying to 'help' the characters in the story. Chicken steps in to show Clara her tutu, protect Clara and the Nutcracker from a 'bully', and to prevent the Mouse King from hurting the Nutcracker. After being shown out of the theater, Chicken realizes that she still has the toy nutcracker which needs to be returned for the end of the show. Can Papa and Chicken find a way to save the play or is it doomed to finish poorly? Chicken's intention to help 'improve' the story don't sit well with the audience, unsurprisingly, and poor Papa struggles to help her understand why she should not interrupt the show. The humor from the original stories continues here with readers already acquainted with Chicken and her antics knowing what's coming but enjoying the mayhem anyway. Although the sign indicating the theater plans to never sell tickets to Papa and Chicken again indicate this will be their first and last show at this theater. This story works both as an individual read-aloud for fun and as a way to introduce the topic of interrupting to children in a classroom or library. With interrupting a common occurrence in both those places, a reminder of proper etiquette can be helpful. A fun addition to a delightful series. Recommended.
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