'Cranky Chicken' with story and art by Katherine Battersby is a graphic novel for young readers about a particularly grumpy chicken.

In this hilarious novel, we meet a cranky chicken who meets a worm and they become friends. The worm tries to understand what makes the chicken so cranky and the chicken finds less to be cranky about.

I think kids will get a kick out of this story and root for worm and chicken. The illustrations are simple but well done. I recommend it for young readers.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for access to this ARC of "Cranky Chicken." This is such a cute story for kids! The illustrations are fun and the story is uplifting for every age.

This is a silly, fun book, that will be loved by many of your Easy Reader/Early Graphic Novel fans. Recommended purchase.

Thank you NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my goodness, this was one book that I read through completely in one sitting. I was reading it during our independent reading time, and had several eyes start following along the book with me. Cranky Chicken has such a personality (along with his trusty new sidekick), and I can totally see myself reading this as an entertaining read aloud. Not to mention a fun book to add to our classroom library! Definitely a must read for all elementary readers!

Chicken is cranky. Then she meets worm - who is speedy. And grateful - because, unbeknownst to her - she saved him! There are three separate stories in this book that follow Cranky Chicken and Speedy Worm as they become friends and overcome challenges together - because that is what friends do! This book will make you - and young readers just being introduced to graphic novels - laugh out loud.!
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a digital copy of the book!

This was a really fun graphic novel. It does break the fourth wall. The chicken and the worm do not talk to the readers, but they know they are in the book you are reading. Cranky Chicken is cranky because it doesn’t have a friend. Turns out the worm is the same. This book just gets a chuckle out of readers. One thing I really loved is when Worm says I can be your wingman. When chicken says no, worm says they could be it’s wing woman, chicken still says no, and we get wing worm. It’s a way of being inclusive and acknowledging the sexlessness of worms and how they don’t have to be gendered. And I loved that. This book was a stellar read for beginning chapter readers who want graphic novels.

Cute about about a cranky, very cranky, chicken and a worm who makes everything better. Would work well as a read a loud if you want your listeners to laugh out loud!

We're not treading any especially new ground here. The pairing of a grumpy protagonist with an overly enthusiastic friend is pretty standard for young readers. This is a fairly simple book well used to help kids transition from picture books to longer texts. Easy to follow with simple, expressive illustrations.

The illustrations are great and it's a super fun read aloud. I know the storytime kids will like it.

Chicken is cranky. He doesn’t know why, he just is. The sun is bright, his tail itches and everything just bothers him. Until the day he accidentally meets his new best friend Worm. Worm helps Chicken see things in a new light, and that maybe everything isn’t so terrible after all. It turns out that maybe Chicken is just lonely and needs a friend, and having a friend can change everything.

The book consists of three chapters, each a complete story about Chicken and Worm and about the length of an average Beginning Reading book. The tone and style of the book is direct, a little snarky and very funny. This is a perfect read for fans of Mo Willems' books.

Battersby as the author and illustrator does an excellent job depicting the scenes for the reader. Each illustration is simple but clearly and colorfully evokes the feelings of both Chicken and Worm, as well as easily showing their movement through the different scenes.&nbsp;</p>

Overall this was a funny story that is perfect for kids ranging from kindergarten to second grade.

I love a good chicken story, but I could not finish cranky chicken. It was boring and repetitive. As a chicken owner, that worm would have been devoured in an instant. I did enjoy the illustrations, the illustrator did a good job of portraying a cranky hen.

Cranky Chicken by Katherine Battersby is a children's book currently scheduled for release on September 7 2021. Cranky Chicken is, well, cranky. With one cranky eyebrow, cranky eyes, and even cranky, scratchy feet. But then one day, Cranky meets a very friendly worm named Speedy who wants nothing more than to be friends. The mismatched friendship grows over the course of three short adventures as Chicken and Speedy become BFFs (Best Feathered Friends) and Speedy shows Chicken how to look on the bright side.

Cranky Chicken is a fun and enjoyable read. This easy reader is great for emerging independent readers and beginning readers exploring book with help. The art is well done, adding to the story while also just being fun and engaging to look at on its own. Chicken is used to being alone and doing things his own grumpy way, while Speedy is optimistic and cheerful. They are a classic odd couple that learn about friendship together, and a bit about the world around them. The story is sweet and fun, and I think it will be a favorite for quite a few readers.

Learn how Cranky Chicken and a worm named Speedy become friends when Cranky "saves" Speedy from a leaf! Subsequent stories with light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek humor show our new friends, Worm and Cranky Chicken, working together to figure out how to be best-feathered friends --even though Worm doesn’t have feathers. Humor and heart -- this is a delightful graphic novel that is sure to be a new favorite.

This funny little beginning chapter book is about a cranky chicken and a cheerful worm. When the chicken saves the worm's life, the worm decides they are BFFs. It takes a little convincing, but the chicken ends up being a pretty good friend. Young readers will love this one!

So cute! It reminds me of Elephant and Piggie, that easy dialogue back and forth between silly friends. The difference in dispositions between friends made for comedic moments, and the illustrations are full of movement but still easily replicable.

Chicken is always Cranky! Until the day she meets an unexpected friend who convinces her to not be so cranky. Subsequent chapters take the reader on more adventures with Cranky Chicken. Written in a simple graphic novel format, this is the perfectly hilarious early graphic for early readers who love the Elephant and Piggie Mo Willems series. #CrankyChicken #GraphicNovel #Childrensbooks #childrensfiction #picturebooks #netgalley #katherinebattersby

A cute clever book about a chicken and a worm! I also liked how friendship was the main focal point of this book, because it demonstrates to children how to become someone's friend, etc.

If you like Mo Willems, you're going to LOVE Katherine Battersby. From the end papers to the Cranky Chicken to Speedy the Worm, this book is captivating and humorous.

Sometimes you're cranky because you want to be. Sometimes you're cranky because someone says that you should be. Sometimes you're cranky for no reason at all. Sometimes you're cranky because you're old. Sometimes you're cranky because you're lonely. And sometimes, you choose crankiness.

Cranky Chicken is just cranky; from eyebrows to wings to legs to beak - mostly because no one has ever called Cranky Chicken anything different. And then Cranky Chicken meets Speedy purely from being Cranky.

Isn't it interesting how some deep friendships are formed? When opposites just seem to gravitate towards each other - that's how Cranky Chicken and Speedy were. Instead of just becoming more cranky, Cranky Chicken is forced to recognize what it causing the crankiness and know how to best combat it.

This book is excellent for recognizing and acknowledging emotions. It demonstrates the value of friendship and can be used to help children of all ages find ways to cope with changing emotions in their own lives.

Pros: The illustrations are spot on with humor. There is just a tinge of sarcasm in the book, which adults will recognize, but is subtle enough that children won't develop attitude from reading this. This is a quick read that two of my children (11 and 13) begged to read, and then laughed as they read it.

Cons: A worm and a Chicken being friends? Really?! If you're looking for a realistic book, this isn't it.

Overall: 5 stars. It made me laugh out loud, and I would most definitely put this on my shelf with other beloved children's authors. I'll seek out more books from Katherine Battersby in the future.

(This review will be posted on line within a month of the publication date: it is not currently live at https://reviewsfromabookdragon.blogspot.com)

Thanks to #NetGalley for the digital copy.
Graphic style chapters of a cranky chicken feeling destined to be cranky until one day he meets worm. Or rather saves worm from the evil leaf. Worm and Chicken learn to become friends and share a few things with each other. Children will gravitate toward this book!

This was great! I loved illustrations, cranky pants especially. :). The humor is laugh out loud funny, but there are also tongue in cheek moments. The characters are fun and engaging. I am looking forward to many future adventures in this series. I may have to have a copy for my personal collection. Loved it!