Status
Coming Soon
Call number
Collection
Genres
Publication
Candlewick (2019), 32 pages
Description
"A timely retelling plays off "The Little Red Hen" with an environmental slant. On top of a hill, inside an old and very fruitful apple tree, lives Little Green Hen. She prunes the tree's branches, rids it of pests, and sows its seeds so that more trees will grow. But soon the work proves too much, and Little Green Hen seeks some help. Dog (who loves sticks), Sparrow (who loves bugs), and Squirrel (who loves burying things) are glad to pitch in. But Peacock, Fox, and Cat have far more important things to do -- until the storms roll in, the rain comes down, and the waters rise. . . . With contemporary flair, Alison Murray offers another engaging adaptation of a traditional children's tale."--Amazon.
User reviews
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
British author/artist Alison Murray adapts the classic folktale about The Little Red Hen in this ecological fable. The eponymous Little Green Hen here cares for her apple tree, eventually planting an orchard all around it. She asks the other animals for help, and Dog, Squirrel and Sparrow agree to
Having never been overly fond of The Little Red Hen, which always smacked to me of a certain kind of moral smugness and lack of compassion, in its refusal to allow the hen's lazy friends to make reparations, I tend to find revisionist takes of the tale more appealing than traditional ones. It's rather ironic, as I usually prefer the original, when it comes to folk and fairy-tales. However that may be, I found The Little Green Hen a solidly engaging picture-book, one with a good message about environmental stewardship and working as a community. I don't know that it made a terribly strong impression on me - the artwork is pleasant but unremarkable, the story engaging but not terribly involving - but overall I enjoyed it. Recommended to those looking for revisionist takes on classic stories, particularly when those revisions work to create an ecological message.
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aid her, while Cat, Peacock and Fox do not. When a terrible flood comes, and the latter three animals are made homeless, the Little Green Hen welcomes them into her warm, dry home in the apple tree. After that, everyone pitches in to care for the orchard, which provides them with everything they need, even preventing future floods...Having never been overly fond of The Little Red Hen, which always smacked to me of a certain kind of moral smugness and lack of compassion, in its refusal to allow the hen's lazy friends to make reparations, I tend to find revisionist takes of the tale more appealing than traditional ones. It's rather ironic, as I usually prefer the original, when it comes to folk and fairy-tales. However that may be, I found The Little Green Hen a solidly engaging picture-book, one with a good message about environmental stewardship and working as a community. I don't know that it made a terribly strong impression on me - the artwork is pleasant but unremarkable, the story engaging but not terribly involving - but overall I enjoyed it. Recommended to those looking for revisionist takes on classic stories, particularly when those revisions work to create an ecological message.
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Awards
Hampshire Book Awards (Shortlist — Picture Book Award — 2020)
CCBC Choices (2020)
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
32 p.; 9.75 inches
ISBN
1536206105 / 9781536206104