Prairie Chicken Little

Publishers Weekly

Hopkins gives this story of miscommunication and false alarm a Southwestern spin, much as she did in The Three Armadillies Tuff and The Horned Toad Prince. The narrative uses internal rhyming and several dropped g’s to create a jaunty cadence, as Mary McBlicken (the eponymous prairie chicken) spreads her panic after she hears “a rumblin’ and a grumblin’ and a tumblin’.” She dashes “lickety-splickety” to tell each of her animal pals (including Jeffrey Snog the prairie dog, Beau Grabbit the jack rabbit, and June Spark the meadowlark) that a “stampede’s a comin’!” Each responds, “How do you know that this is so?” The repetition invites chiming in from young readers, who will also find plenty to chuckle at in Cole’s (Unspoken) bustling watercolor, ink, and colored-pencil illustrations, which convey the animals’ overblown fright with comedic bravado. Things get a bit convoluted as the story reaches its climax, when “Slim Brody the sly coyote” tries to lead the animals astray, but the book remains a lively take on this familiar tale. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Children's Literature - Debra Lampert-Rudman

Mary McBlicken is a distraught, anxiety-driven, prairie chicken in Jackie Mims Hopkins', delightful and completely original, retelling of the Chicken Little classic. Surrounded by motionless bison on the open prairie, Mary is certain a stampede is coming when she hears a "rumbling and a grumbling and a tumbling." With wide-eyed, open-beaked fury, humorously rendered in watercolor, ink, and colored pencil by legendary illustrator Henry Cole, Mary scurries back to the ranch to warn Cowboy Stan and Red Dog Dan. On the way, she frantically alarms Jeffrey Snog, the prairie dog, Beau Grabbit the jack rabbit, and June Spark the Meadowlark, who race along with her to the ranch. On the way, the group meets Slim Brody, the "sly coyote," who suggests a shortcut through his den (strewn with unhealthy-looking sodas, pizza crust, and various cans and bottles). As he is about to pounce for his dinner, Cowboy Stan (a horse) and Red Dog Dan (a dog who appears slightly feline) save the day. And, what, the reader may ask, caused the rumbling, grumbling, and tumbling? Why, Mary's stomach, of course! So, on Stan's advice, they all sit down to a vegetarian meal cooked by Cowboy "Chef" Stan. And, what became of coyote Brody? "Sly Slim," a carnivore, is left howling at the moon on the endpaper. Plenty of tension and rhyming to keep both preschoolers and early readers entertained. Reviewer: Debra Lampert-Rudman

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2—When Mary McBlicken hears "a rumbling and a grumbling and a tumbling," she thinks a stampede is coming. The bison grazing peacefully nearby eye her curiously as she frantically heads toward the ranch to warn Cowboy Stan and Red Dog Dan. She encounters Jeffrey Snog the prairie dog, Beau Grabbit the jack rabbit, and June Spark the meadowlark, who follow her "lickety-splickety" toward the ranch. Unfortunately, they encounter Slim Brody the sly coyote, whose evil intentions become clear when the shortcut he shows them leads to his den. Red Dog Dan, riding his horse, Cowboy Stan, hears the ruckus and comes to the rescue. With the coyote gone, they realize that what Mary thought was a stampede is just her empty stomach making noises. Cowboy Stan cooks up a satisfying supper that they share as the red sun sets on the prairie. Cartoon characters with large, expressive eyes hurry across a painterly prairie under a wide blue sky with white clouds. The contrast heightens tension, as does the placid spread that shows the friends following the coyote to his den. The simple text with its rhyming words and repeated phrases will appeal to emerging readers. Pair Steven Kellogg's Chicken Little (Morrow, 1987), featuring a city setting, with this prairie version of the folktale for an entertaining storyhour.—Mary Jean Smith, formerly at Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN

Kirkus Reviews

Mary McBlicken is one panicky prairie chicken. While out on the grasslands one day, Mary the prairie chicken hears a terrible rumbling and grumbling. Sure it's a stampede, she runs away lickety-split to warn Cowboy Stan and Red Dog Dan; they'll know what to do. Along her pell-mell flight, she meets in turn Jeffrey Snog the prairie dog, Beau Grabbit the jackrabbit and June Spark the meadowlark, and Mary succeeds in freaking them all out. Everyone runs until they meet Slim Brody the coyote. He says he knows a shortcut to the ranch. A few quick turns lead to a suspicious-looking tunnel. The friends know something's up, and their squawking attack brings Cowboy Stan and Red Dog Dan running. The two (horse and Chihuahua) chase away that nasty coyote …and the whole crew discover what the rumbling and grumbling really was: Mary's stomach! It's supper time. Hopkins' prairie take on "Chicken Little" is made storytime perfect by Cole's characteristically hysterical, watercolor-and–colored-pencil cartoons of goggle-eyed critters. It's also a nice twist that Mary and her friends save themselves from the coyote rather than ending up as lunch or requiring outside assistance. The prairie animals (some not mentioned in the text) make this a nice addition to cross-curricular libraries, though it's too bad there is no additional information as a backmatter bonus. Nevertheless, good fun to share in a lap or with a group. (Picture book. 3-7)