CHICKEN in SPACE #PPBF

The author of the book I'm high-lighting today is a local author (local to me, anyway) who burst onto the scene in 2013 with his debut picture book, Warning: Do Not Open This Book, a zany madcap story of monkeys and mayhem. I think this one is even better!

Title: CHICKEN in SPACE

Author: Adam Lehrhaupt 
Illustrator: Shahar Kober
Publisher: Harper Collins, 2016
Intended Ages: 4-8 
Themes: Imagination, Animals, Friendship
Opening Lines:  "Zoey wasn't like the other chickens.
                             She had dreams. She had a plan. She had a pig."
Synopsis: Zoey the chicken finds a way to make her dream of space exploration come true.

What I like about this book: Just reading the title out loud, I hear an "announcer's" voice in my head--the melodrama, the echo. And that sets the scene perfectly for the imaginative main character who views the world through a rose-colored lens. Zoey's world is one where wishes can come true, if you look at things the right way. The illustrator nails the facial expressions that bring the barnyard characters to life and subtle details let the reader know this isn't your ordinary barnyard. It's one where satellite dishes are installed on doghouses. Melding hilarity and heart, there's a chicken in an aviator's hat.And there's pie.

Resources/Activities:

• Whet your appetite with the Chicken in Space trailer:
• Share a post-election moment. Read all of the author's books (four now!) and vote for your favorite.
• Eat pie! So many varieties . . . YUM!
• Brainstorm what you think Chicken's next adventure might be. 
• Brainstorm alternate (imaginative!) uses for common household items. What could be used undersea? What could be used in space?
• Take your own imaginative adventure. Examples: Build a couch-ship, a bed rocket, a sheet fort.
• Which friend(s) would you want to take on an imaginative adventure? Why?

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoy my selection this week. 
This review is part of PPBF (Perfect Picture Book Friday) where bloggers share great picture books. Organized and curated by author Susanna Leonard Hill, she keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. #PPBF