Cranky Chicken, early reader graphic novel that levels up for some

A child’s first graphic novel and those graphic novels that speak to reluctant, young readers are two different things. If the latter category addresses the book as being too young or does them in such a manner that mid-elementary kids would find them babyish then they’ll be exiled to the first grade classroom. Conversely, if the content is too much then those younger readers see too much text, or the words are too big, then they’ll get psyched out. If a graphic novel is aiming for the nebulous category then it has to be funny, but not too silly, have some attitude, but not too much, in addition to having a story kids want to read, with enough pictures and length to make it worth their while, so, no pressure. Cranky Chicken is a graphic novel that’s not a kid’s first graphic novel, but many first grade students will want to read it. It’s also a graphic novel the sublimely hits the Jell-O people who make up reluctant readers.

Our 10 YO is growing out of his reluctant reader phase. Kids in this category want to read, but only on their own terms; most of the time this happens five minutes before it’s time to do something else. The magic happens when that reluctant reader finds a category or style that speaks to them. This is when they’ll spend leisure time reading, actually reading instead of thumbing through the pages to see if they can fold them in a way to make their own words like a Mad Magazine Fold-In.

Cranky Chicken, even by its name will make kids curious. “What does ‘cranky’ mean Mr. Trey?” Some kids, either in your more intimate setting of home, or in the larger, tempestuous body of people at the library or school will ask that. It’s a great thing when kids ask questions about words that they haven’t experienced yet.

As with any great illustrated book or graphic novel, a big clue about ‘cranky’ is on the cover. We see a surly looking chicken, arms folded on its side in the rain with a worm on its shoulder holding an umbrella. The worm, who will come to be known as Speedy, looks all too happy given the weather and the fact that it’s hanging around with one of their biggest predators, but don’t worry about that fact.

Most folks just call the chicken Cranky, but our poultry friend does a great thing and saves Speedy’s life. Actually, all Cranky does is angrily kick a leaf out of its way. However, under that leaf is Speedy who thought he was being suffocated by a tree’s defense system.

After the initial introduction there are four stories that highlight the budding friendship between Cranky Chicken and Speedy. They don’t have the same interests and chicken often points that out, but Speedy’s relentless optimism pushes through any dour mojo that’s trying to take center stage.

I showed Cranky Chicken to a fourth grader reader who does not read graphic novels. “It looks like Dog Man”, she said. I told her that panels were a way of telling stories in a graphic novel. She then went on to tell me that the book was about friendship and having fun with people who aren’t exactly like you.

As an older reader I hadn’t thought of the book in that manner. “Is the book preachy or tying to present you with a message”, I followed up. No, according to her, as well as me, it’s a fun graphic novel that may teach a lesson, but it’s done in a way that’s funny and entertaining. Our student then read the rest of the graphic novel, even though she said she “doesn’t like graphic novels.”

Cranky Chicken is by Katherine Battersby and available on Margaret K. McElderry Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

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