Mr Chicken All Over Australia

Leigh Hobbs

Allen & Unwin, 2019

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

9781760296964

The infamous Mr Chicken has been to Paris,  London and  Rome, and now the adventurous chicken has come to Australia. In response to invitations from Yackandandah, to Koolanooka, Wuk Wuk to Wonglepong,  he has hopped on the plane, hooked up with a helpful travel agent and is on his way to see the sights.  His list of places is very long and using all sorts of transport, they travel hither and thither, here and there, back and forth, seeing all there is to see until they climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Mr Chicken discovers he is afraid of heights…

Apart from being another great story in this series that helps little ones understand that the world is bigger than their immediate environs, this book screams out to be the start of an exploration of this great country for young readers.  Which of the places he visited have you been to? What can you tell us about them? Are the place names real?  Where are they?  How did Mr Chicken get there? If we wanted to visit, when would be the best time to go? If we sent him an invitation to come here, what would we show him that was unique?  The possibilities are endless and not only increase their understanding of the diversity of this continent but help develop information literacy skills in a purposeful, engaging context.  

A must for any collection.