Chickerella

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Auch, Mary Jane & Herm Auch. 2005. CHICKERELLA. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823418049

PLOT SUMMARY
Chickerella, a fashion-conscious chicken, has a good life until her stepmother and stepsisters come to make her miserable. Her fancy dresses are given to her stepsisters, and she is quickly moved out of the main coop into the springhouse, where she begins to lay eggs made of pure glass.

Then, the stepsisters are invited to the Fowl Ball, an event that Chickerella would like to attend so she can look at the pretty dresses, rather than marry the prince. Instead, she is forced to design and make dresses for her stepsisters to wear, only to be locked in the springhouse. Chickerella’s Fairy Goosemother appears and helps her on her way to the Fowl Ball in a beautiful dress, where her fine fashion sense intrigues the prince. Chickerella has to leave early, but not without laying one of her glass eggs. Determined to find Chickerella, the prince orders all the hens to present their eggs so he may find the one to match the glass egg. The prince then finds Chickerella and her matching egg. When they learn of their common interest in fashion, as well as their lack of desire to be married, they become designing partners with the Fairy Goosemother and create the successful fashion line called Chickerella.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
CHICKERELLA is an entertaining, light-hearted spoof of the fairytale Cinderella. The similarities in the story are obvious, but many details are changed, including a completely different ending where the normal “happily ever after” has a new meaning. The text is filled with chicken puns and the clever use of all things chicken and eggs. Young readers will be kept laughing throughout this fractured fairytale, especially if the harder to understand expressions throughout the story are explained to them.

However, what makes this story stand out is the artwork. As noted at the beginning, each picture was created from a miniature photo shoot. Mary Jane Auch made small three-dimensional chickens, dressed them, and used various materials such as clay, wire, and other small objects to create facial expressions, accessories, and other props. Scenes for each illustration were created and then photographed and digitally altered to achieve the right effect, while maintaining the mulit-dimensional look. Each picture includes an enormous amount of detail to complement the story, from facial expressions and room décor to Chickerella’s brand-name “Chickenstock” shoes. Some readers, however, may be distracted by this interesting and highly creative artwork to pick up on all of the details in the text.

Overall, this is a fun story that will keep readers entertained and wanting to find out more about its loveable characters. They will certainly enjoy this new, and very original twist to the traditional Cinderella.


REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “the ending will satisfy children who like 'eggstravaganzas'”
HORN BOOK: “funny, original illustrations”
KIRKUS REVIEW: “another eggceptional addition to the oeuvre of this feather-brained duo”

CONNECTIONS
*Read CHICKERELLA along with other Cinderella stories or parodies, and compare and contrast
*Read some of Auch’s other chicken-related works. Look for and discuss the many allusions to chicken, eggs, etc.
*After reading CHICKERELLA, have students create their own fairytale parody.


*Other Cinderella stories

Daly, Jude. 2000. FAIR, BROWN & TREMBLING: AN IRISH CINDERELLA STORY. New York: Farrar Straus & Giroux. ISBN 0374322473

Edwards, Pamela Duncan. 1997. DINORELLA: A PREHISTORIC FAIRY TALE. Ill. by Henry Cole. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 0786803096

Lowell, Susan. 2000. CINDY ELLEN: A WILD WESTERN CINDERELLA. Ill by Jane Manning. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN 0060274468

Martin, Rafe. 1992. THE ROUGH-FACE GIRL. Ill. by David Shannon. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN 0399218599

Whipple, Laura. 2002. IF THE SHOE FITS: VOICES FROM CINDERELLA. Ill. by Laura Beingessner. New York: M.K. McElderry Books. ISBN 0689840705


*Other chicken parodies by Mary Jane Auch

Auch, Mary Jane. 1997. BANTAM OF THE OPERA. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823413128

Auch, Mary Jane. 1999. THE NUTQUACKER. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823415244

Auch, Mary Jane. 1993. PEEPING BEAUTY. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 0823410013