Wings: A Tale of Two Chickens

Sensible Harriet has to rescue silly Winnie from the clutches of Mr. Johnson, who Winnie fails to recognize as a fox. Never were two chickens more different than Harriet and Winnie. Harriet kept busy with many hobbies, while flighty Winnie was often bored. So when that sly fox Mr. Johnson happened by Winnie’s garden, she couldn’t resist the chance to live a little and climbed into the basket of his balloon. Now it’s up to Harriet to save her foolish friend from Mr. Johnson’s fricassee pot—and there are chases galore, hairsbreadth escapes, clever disguises, and lots more tomfoolery before she does. James Marshall’s clever wit and lively sense of the absurd keep this hilarious romp rollicking along from start to cliff-hanging finish.

Harriet the chicken rescues her foolish friend from the clutches of a wily fox.

Sensible Harriet has to rescue silly Winnie from the clutches of Mr. Johnson, who Winnie fails to recognize as a fox. Never were two chickens more different than Harriet and Winnie. Harriet kept busy with many hobbies, while flighty Winnie was often bored. So when that sly fox Mr. Johnson happened by Winnie’s garden, she couldn’t resist the chance to live a little and climbed into the basket of his balloon. Now it’s up to Harriet to save her foolish friend from Mr. Johnson’s fricassee pot—and there are chases galore, hairsbreadth escapes, clever disguises, and lots more tomfoolery before she does. James Marshall’s clever wit and lively sense of the absurd keep this hilarious romp rollicking along from start to cliff-hanging finish.

James Marshall (1942–1992) created dozens of exuberant and captivating books for children, including The Stupids, Miss Nelson Is Missing!, and the ever-popular George and Martha books. Before creating his canon of classic, hilarious children’s books, James Marshall played the viola, studied French, and received a master’s degree from Trinity College. He also doodled. It was the doodles, and the unforgettable characters that emerged from them, that led him to his life’s work as one of the finest creators of children’s books of the twentieth century. In 2007, James Marshall was posthumously awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder medal for his lasting contribution to literature for children.

Publishers Weekly

Another of James Marshall's beloved books returns, Wings: A Tale of Two Chickens (1986), in which Winnie the chicken, who doesn't read, finds herself prey to a fox. It's up to feathered Harriet to rescue her pal. "There is more here than just a hilarious plot," wrote PW upon its original 1986 publication. "Very real characters, a plug for reading, a warning about strangers and animated, breezy art full of detail. Marshall is in top form here."

James Marshall (1942-1992) created dozens of exuberant and captivating books for children, including The Stupids, Miss Nelson Is Missing!, and the ever-popular George and Martha books. Before creating his canon of classic, hilarious children's books, James Marshall played the viola, studied French, and received a master's degree from Trinity College. He also doodled. It was the doodles, and the unforgettable characters that emerged from them, that led him to his life's work as one of the finest creators of children's books of the twentieth century. In 2007, James Marshall was posthumously awarded the Laura Ingalls Wilder medal for his lasting contribution to literature for children.