A collection of three short stories all about a restless chicken is a funny concept. The story was well executed too. The illustrations exhibit the peril and the emotion of each minisode in Louise's life, though the tale isn't exactly an emotional roller coaster. First and foremost, this is a humor story and it does the job in that regard. The book is a lot of fun. ( )

2 stars really 1 star for the quote on the back cover. ( )

What a fun story about a daring little chicken that is seeking adventure. Throughout the story, Louise ends up escaping pirates on the ocean and the high wire and a lion's mouth at the circus, but she then gets captured and caged in a far away village. Louise is able to pick the lock and free herself, along with many other chickens. Once back home in her coop, Louise retells all her adventurous feats to the other farm animals. She quickly realizes that as much as she wants to seek out a good adventure, she loves being home more.

What a perfect book to teach bravery, independence, and gratitude. This book can also be used as an example that the grass isn't always greener.

This book would be a great read aloud for 1st-4th grade.

This fiction book is about a chicken names Louise who dreams for adventure. In reality she lived on a farm with other chickens, but her mind took her to different places. Her adventures included escaping a pirate ship, performing at the circus, and went to a foreign land where she interacted with people in a market place. A notable feature about this book is the descriptive illustration. The pictures perfectly highlight the scenarios in each adventure. This book consists of short chapters which went into detail about each adventure Louise went on. I would use this book as an instructional application to help students start thinking about an adventure they would like to go on. I could create a lesson plan about writing your own story about an adventure. ( )

Louise the chicken is adventure-bound in the three stories presented in this picture-book from two-time Nebery medalist Kate DiCamillo. In episode one Louise goes to sea, enduring a pirate attack and shipwreck in the course of her sailing life. In the second installment, she joins the circus as a tightrope walker, narrowly avoiding being eaten by the circus lion when she falls from her high perch. In the third and final tale, Louise finds her way to a far country (Near Eastern, by the look of it), where she is imprisoned by the tall, dark stranger about whom she'd been warned by a fortune-teller, and must make her escape.

In each of the three stories in Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken, our heroine is led by a sense of wanderlust out into the world, and by a sense of homesickness and longing for peace and security back to her own farm. I found it interesting that in the final story, the point is made that chickens should be allowed to wander free, rather than living constricted lives in cramped quarters. Perhaps a commentary on modern agricultural production? It was also interesting to note that Louise turns from adventurer to storyteller at the close of the book, sharing the joys and terrors of her travels with her friends at home. I'm not sure that this is destined to be a favorite - it was pleasant, but mostly unremarkable - but I was interested to see what DiCamillo, whose novels for older children are so accomplished, would do with the picture-book form. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books featuring characters who march to the beat of their own drummer. ( )