Synopsis
A Sufi teaching tale of a chicken that has learned to speak as people do and spreads an alarming warning, which causes the townspeople to panic without first considering the ...
School Library Journal
K-Gr 2-Set in the Middle East, Shah's retelling of a Sufi story sends a gentle message to readers: just because someone says it's so, does not make it so. A silly chicken that a wise man teaches to speak tells the people, "The earth is going to swallow us up!" After several panicked and humorously illustrated attempts to escape the earth, the people return to their village and question the chicken about where he got his information. Of course, he hasn't the slightest idea what he's talking about. With its simple language and repeating phrases, the story begs to be told, and Jackson's colorful pastel illustrations lend a zany accent to the antics. It's a classic case of "the sky is falling" for an ancient culture, and it still has the ring of truth today.-Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.