Australian author Sonya Hartnett is a well-known Australian writer of fiction for children, YA, and adults. She has won many awards in Australia and in 2008 she won the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. She has again teamed up with the also award-winning illustrator Lucia Masciullo, the Italian-Australian illustrator. Together they created the picture books Come Down, Cat!, and Go Home, Cat!, and now have produced There’s a Chicken in the House, a whimsical gentle tale of an unusual and unexpected visitor.
A little girl lying on her back reading a book notices the wind has blown open the front door and a chicken has wandered in. Her Mum says: ‘Well, chase her out,’ but that is not as easy as it sounds. The chicken explores, looks for crumbs, surprises Dad in the bathroom, even does a poo on the floor! The little girl is aghast when the chicken goes into her sister’s bedroom and sits inside the wardrobe. Whatever will this chicken do next?
Lucia’s charming illustrations really extend the story, giving the chicken a character and personality that is a match for the determined little girl who is trying her best to get it out of the house in a polite and friendly way (despite the poo). Soft colours for the backgrounds keep the eye on the main character, i.e. the chicken, as she struts around the house, always the primary focus of each page. The unnamed little girl is also well defined, full of energy, revealing her changing emotions through body language and facial expression, always easily grasped by a young reader.
Young children will enjoy this delightful little adventure with its surprise ending. Many Australian children are familiar with an unexpected animal visitor in the house and this story could be a springboard to explore who and what we welcome into our homes.
