Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise

About the Book

A bouncy little red chicken comes home from school where she learned about the “elephant of surprise” that’s in every story. It’s “element of surprise,” explains her father. “It’s the part of the story that makes you say, ‘Whoa! I didn’t know that was going to happen.'” To which his daughter replies, “An elephant in a story always makes me say, ‘Whoa!'” When Papa reads aloud “The Ugly Duckling,” “Rapunzel” and “The Little Mermaid,” a bright blue elephant suddenly appears every time. The little chicken then illustrates a story her father tells–and inserts the elephant again. Vibrant mixed-media illustrations show a cozy home and warm bond between the slightly exasperated father and the adorable daughter who ignores his greater knowledge (sound familiar?).

Why this Book?

This is the sequel to the similarly funny, exuberantly illustrated Caldecott Honor Book, Interrupting Chicken. I find the running joke about “elephant of surprise” slightly funnier, but they’re both great. The pages from the tales Papa reads aloud have bland old-fashioned illustrations from which the elephant bursts forth in a colorful surprising way. The little chicken’s enthusiasm for reading and her affection for her father make her a memorable character. A book likely to make everyone smile and it teaches a literary element–sort of.