The New York Times Book Review - Michael Ian Black
Did you know…that Rapunzel features a bubbly blue elephant with exquisite blond braids? Now you do. Stein's art is rich, textured and varied…[Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise] features stories within stories. All with elephants. Lots and lots of elephants, each of them, as advertised, surprising.
From the Publisher
Stein’s art is rich, textured and varied. Like ‘King Alice,’ this book features stories within stores. All with elephants. Lots and lots of elephants, each of them, as advertised, surprising.
—The New York Times Book Review
Stein contrasts the richly colored, comfortable scenes at home with the pale, restrained traditional storybook illustrations, which are in turn jolted by the addition of the colorful, comical Elephant of Surprise and Chicken herself. Following the same basic structure as the original story, this sequel is fresh, funny, and satisfying in its own way. A treat for Interrupting Chicken fans.
—Booklist (starred review)
Stein masterfully builds suspense with each imbedded story, for a gag that only gets more fun with each reveal.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The prose matches the vibrancy of the illustrations with humorous dialogue between Chicken and her patient Papa. Multiple award-winning author and illustrator Stein has created a noteworthy title for library shelves in addition to his already beloved collection of picture books. A terrific choice for one-on-one and small group sharing.
—School Library Journal (starred review)
Stein’s mixed-media illustrations allow the narrative styles to bounce back and forth between silly and serious, showing both wacky and cozy moments and honoring the warm, loving relationship between Chicken and her caregiver. Like its Caldecott Honor–winning predecessor Interrupting Chicken, this story centers on one extended gag; but many will enjoy giggling at it again and again, likely with a grownup of their own.
—The Horn Book
Little Chicken is back, and her metafictive editorial impulses are as strong as ever...fans of the two loving characters will be delighted to see them again. Unsurprisingly good.
—Kirkus Reviews
The father’s amused exasperation [in Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise], the child’s delight, the wordplay and the exuberant artwork all combine to make this picture book at once a celebration of love and language and an entertainment that will stand up to many, many bedtime readings. Some jokes never get old.
—The Wall Street Journal
Kirkus Reviews
2018-07-05
A laugh-out-loud follow-up to Stein's 2011 Caldecott honoree, Interrupting Chicken.Little Chicken is back, and her metafictive editorial impulses are as strong as ever. After school, she tells Papa, "my teacher told us every story has an elephant of surprise." Papa corrects her, replying, "She was talking about an element of surprise," but Chicken is unconvinced and is determined to find surprising elephants in the stories she reads for homework with Papa. And find them she does in the books-within-the-book: The Ugly Duckling, Rapunzel, and The Little Mermaid. As in Interrupting Chicken, Stein changes styles to illustrate Chicken's books and then visually interrupts those scenes—this time not just with Chicken jumping into the books, but with her imagined elephant of surprise, too. He ratchets up the humor by depicting the small, blue, adorable elephant in costume for each story—feathered like a swan, wearing long braids and a dirndl, and finally in a grass skirt and coconut bra. More indulgent than exasperated, Papa determines to tell Chicken a story without elephants, and she illustrates it. She, of course, also interrupts it with an elephant of surprise. While the interrupting conceit is a bit less straightforward in this book than its predecessor, fans of the two loving characters will be delighted to see them again.Unsurprisingly good. (Picture book. 4-8)
