Henny Penny

Everyone has heard the story of Henny Penny, and how her foolishness led her to a terrible end. But that is the version from the fox's point of view. In this beautifully illustrated retelling, readers will enjoy a cheery new take on the tale of Henny Penny, who may have been smarter than anyone previously thought. The familiar repetition of silly names and the even sillier antics of the animal characters will win over readers as they have for generations, while Sophie Windham's gorgeous illustrations bring a fresh new perspective to this heroic hen's tale.

Everyone has heard the story of Henny Penny, and how her foolishness led her to a terrible end. But that is the version from the fox's point of view. In this beautifully illustrated retelling, readers will enjoy a cheery new take on the tale of Henny Penny, who may have been smarter than anyone previously thought. The familiar repetition of silly names and the even sillier antics of the animal characters will win over readers as they have for generations, while Sophie Windham's gorgeous illustrations bring a fresh new perspective to this heroic hen's tale.

Publishers Weekly

Although Windham's (The Obvious Elephant) painterly illustrations set a classical tone, French's (A Present for Mom) text grants the famous fowl a considerable intelligence upgrade. Henny Penny still believes that the sky is falling, still rallies Turkey Lurkey et al. to warn the king, and still leads her friends right into the clutches of the voracious Foxy Loxy. But once the group arrives in the lair, Henny Penny has an epiphany of sorts. Noticing the bones and feathers strewn about, the chicken deduces that they're on the menu. (Windham captures this light bulb moment in a deliciously wry spot illustration.) "Now, Henny Penny...," the clucky heroine says to herself, steeling herself for what's ahead, "You may be silly, but surely there's something you can do." And she's right. She offers to tidy up the place, and while doing so, sings a lullaby so soporific that Fox falls fast asleep and the group tiptoes away. Aside from this tip of the hat to self-actualization, however, the book comes down solidly on the side of old-fashioned storytelling. Ages 4-8. (July) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Vivian French is an acclaimed children's author with a long and respected list of titles to her credit. She lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sophie Windham is the illustrator of The Obvious Elephant. She lives in England with her husand and two children. Sophie has been shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal.