Hello, friends! We’re back today with a review of The Chicken-Chasing Queen Of Lamar County, written by Janice N. Harrington and illustrated by Shelley Jackson, a whimsical story of a precocious young girl and her quest to catch a very elusive chicken.

A little girl opens the story by introducing herself as the Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County. Even though Big Mama tells her to leave the chickens alone, the little girl can’t help it; she adores the exciting fun of sneaking up and snatching the unsuspecting chickens on her family’s farm. In fact, she’s caught every chicken except one: Miss Hen, a beautiful red who’s far cleverer than she looks. The Queen tries her best, but Miss Hen is just too slippery. Right up until the Queen well and truly has her dead to rights… but finds that perhaps Miss Hen has a reason to be so sly that is more important than playing chase.

This was a really fun story with a wonderfully joyful protagonist and some lovely art. Everything about the text and story feels immersive, and makes it great fun as you follow along with the very “serious” business of chicken-chasing. The art is a wonderful mix of gorgeously expressive humans against mixed-media environments and creatures, and the patchwork quality of the titular chickens is especially enchanting. The length is fine, and JJ and I had a lot of fun with this one. A fun ride into the adventures of a little girl, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!