"A long time ago there was an evil chicken..."
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Chicken Pops by Mi Trafford Publishing
book review by Corinna Underwood
This delightful story is short but very sweet. It was created by 5-year-old Marie, affectionately known to her family as Mi. When an outbreak of Chicken Pox hits her local community one summer, Mi is unable to escape. Tortured by the itchy disease, Mi makes up this story to alleviate her boredom. She then tells it to her younger brother, J.J., so he will understand what Chicken Pox is and where it comes from. The tale is told in simple words so it may be read aloud by a parent or young child. It takes the form of a traditional fable with one line accompanying each illustration, and reads with the natural cadence of a spoken tale.
The story begins with a mythical and evil chicken; the mythical source of Chicken Pox. The evil chicken broke into a house and pecked the children. Because the children scratched, they grew feathers and also turned into evil chickens. The moral of the story is, if you get chicken pox, you mustn't scratch or you will grow feathers and suffer the consequences. Accompanied by vibrant illustrations from Dresden depicting Mi and her brother in their home, not to mention the evil chicken, this tale will raise a smile on any child's face, even if they are suffering with the "chicken pops" as well.