Two-Headed Chicken

by Tom Angleberger, Tom Angleberger (Illustrator)

Overview

In a hilarious, absurdist romp by New York Times best-selling creator Tom Angleberger, a two-headed chicken races across the multiverse to escape a hungry moose.

Anything is possible in the multiverse, including a madcap adventure starring a plucky two-headed chicken. But look out—there’s a chicken-hungry moose in pursuit! In this fourth wall–breaking graphic novel, our double-headed hero is chased through dozens of bizarre universes, from an ocean planet with a disturbing mermoose (that you can never unsee) to a world where chickens drive cars, and even to a land covered with . . . pizza sauce? With each BZOOP! of the universe-hopping Astrocap, the only thing to expect is the unexpected. Packed with jokes, quizzes, and games, the two-headed chicken’s wacky escapades will remind readers of such favorites as Dog Man and CatStronauts. Absurdist superstar Tom Angleberger makes his original graphic novel debut with this lightning-fast caper that will have readers laughing out loud and eager for each new page.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536223217
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	08/31/2022
Series:	Two-Headed Chicken , #1
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Tom Angleberger is the author and illustrator of many children’s books, including the Origami Yoda series, which has sold millions of copies worldwide. He lives in Virginia with his wife, Cece Bell.

Editorial Reviews

2022-06-08
In this romp through the multiverse, Angleberger asks readers to imagine a universe where they are a two-headed chicken.

It sounds like the start of a silly joke. One head—the reader’s—is generally very stupid; the other—belonging to the reader’s sister—is generally very smart. The alleged plot hops universes with every chapter as the eponymous plucky cluck attempts to escape an “enraged moose named KERNEL ANTLERS” whose mission in life is to fry and eat the chicken. Various bizarre creatures and historical figures offer obfuscating commentary on the chicken’s shenanigans or guidance, and finally, a hypothetical reader, fed up with their aimless escapades and thwarted jokes, threatens to abandon the book and erase the chicken from existence in every multiverse if they don’t buck up and face the moose. Will our intrepid hero prevail? Readers may never know—at least, not in their universe. Scattered self-deprecation may not have been unwarranted, as there’s very little within the book to capture readers’ attention (aside from reading on to learn whether a plot will ever coalesce). Myriad potentially exciting worlds and plotlines are touched on but never explored, and the characters are too flat to allow readers to become invested in their plights. The bold, expressive art, almost reminiscent of margin doodles, does the lion’s share of the storytelling. A few interactive pages offer amusing diversions but feel rather out of place.

Funny but ultimately ineffective as either a joke book or a story. (author’s note) (Graphic novel. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews

As deliciously original and absurdly wacky as any Angleberger creation. The digital artwork combines off-kilter, hilarious, and wonderfully disruptive graphic novel animation with old-fashioned multimedia collage. . . It is knee-slappingly funny and utterly original at every level. . . as quick and easy to devour as fried chicken.
—Booklist (starred review)

Quizzes, puzzles, and even an affidavit give readers a chance to catch their breath while taking in punch-line pile-ups and fourth-wall smackdowns, which together offer all the pleasures of gulping from a comic firehose.
—Publishers Weekly

You cannot go wrong with a book that has a chicken in it. This book has a two-headed chicken, so it is better. The only thing that could possibly improve such a book would be if it had a moose. This one has a moose. There is other stuff, too, but I am not going to tell you the whole thing.
—Daniel Pinkwater, author of Kat Hats and Crazy in Poughkeepsie, neither of which has a chicken, but they’re still good

Tom Angleberger brings his trademark cleverness and good-natured silliness to the graphic novel format. Never a dull moment with a chase across the multiverse—this book will keep you on your toes!
—Jen Wang, New York Times best-selling creator of Stargazing

All Raul the Thirds in all possible universes love this book, and so will you. I guarantee it!
—Raul the Third 2.0

From the Publisher