a 'little red hen' story—without the churlishness
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ZELDA’S BIG ADVENTURE
by Marie Alafaci, illustrated by Shane McGowan – Allen & Unwin, 2016
ages 2 to 8 years / funny
Zelda is a bit like The Little Red Hen, but far more generous. She has a heart for adventure and she has her sights set on being the first chook in space!
There's a whole lot of work to be done and Zelda would like 'a little help from her friends'
but none of her barnyard buddies are willing to help.
But Zelda sticks with it and she makes it – she successfully blasts off in her rocket and becomes the first chook in space.
Once she comes back to earth, all her erstwhile friends want a piece of the glory and, rather than being churlish like that other famous chicken, Zelda says to herself:
“Space travel is fun, … but it is rather lonely. Perhaps I’ll bring some friends next time.”
It’s a lot of fun to read about Zelda and to admire her persistence even in the face of great difficulty – like not being able to count backwards from ten; a very important skill if you’re about to launch a rocket! Zelda and her friends have tons of personality and there’s a jovial feel to the pictures – they really do make the adventure come alive.
3 great reasons to add Zelda to your library:
Books about chooks are always appealing and one that fractures a favourite fairytale so amusingly is bound to be a hit.
Zelda is a sterling example of generosity, pluckiness (pardon the pun) and tenacity.
The expressions on Zelda’s face and her chicken friend’s faces are fabulous – so full of life and character.
You can buy Zelda's Big Adventure via these direct links: Amazon - Book Depository - Booktopia
Also … more books about chickens, and more fractured fairytales.
Names in this book - Zelda, Walter, Mike, Bella
