Bertie really doesn’t want to spend the summer on his uncle’s farm but when he meets an alien disguised as a chicken, his boring, smelly summer holiday turns into a race to save planet Earth! This story is full of fun and teaches about the importance of friendship while providing plenty of laughs!

It will as no surprise to anyone that this is a very silly book. But that's okay. It doesn't take itself too seriously. Even so there is solid structure and even a redeeming message both about what we value and about the importance of research. It's a touch cheeky but doesn't rely too much on gross-out humor. Cute enough for a kid to enjoy reading.

I had a great time reading this book. Bertie is not looking forwards to spending the summer at his uncles farm. His mood changes once he bumps into a talking chicken though. This chicken asks for help with an important mission. It is one that puts the entire Earth at risk and together they will try to save it. As this story comes to a close life for Bertie will never be the same.

One Sentence Summary: Bertie doesn’t want to spend the summer at his uncle’s farm, but things get interesting when he meets an alien chicken and the fate of the Earth is in their hands/wings.

Son’s review:

I liked it. It was funny. It took place on a farm, so there was a chicken. The chicken is an alien, so it’s weird. I think I would read the next book if there is one.

My thoughts:

As you can see, my eight-year-old hasn’t quite mastered book reviewing, but getting him to read this book was kind of a feat all its own considering he forgot about it after I showed it to him on NetGalley and he said he’d be interested in reading it. I mean, it does take a bit for approvals to come through and an eight-year-old can have a short memory for things he doesn’t care for too much (video games, now, are a completely different story), so it meant I had to read the book, too. Alien chickens? Not really my thing, but my son liked it, even if he didn’t sound totally convinced of it when I made him tell me what he thought.

Bertie and the Alien Chicken occurs over the span of approximately a day. It starts with Bertie being dropped off at his uncle’s farm since his mum is off to America for work and his Dad and stepmother are busy with a new baby. I loved the way Bertie tried to get out of going to the farm, and it gave a small glimpse into how he felt about his parents no longer being together. At the farm, well, Bertie doesn’t have the greatest start, especially when he encounters the alien chicken. This really was the fun and funny part. Bertie is very much a young boy, and I could see why my son had a good time reading this part.

And then the second half of the story gets going, and I think this is where my son lost steam with the story. He’s still at the point where he likes funny things, especially when it comes to potty humor. But that kind of humor doesn’t really linger past the halfway mark. Oh, the chicken, nicknamed Nugget, is quite funny, but I don’t think it was the kind of funny my son appreciates yet. There’s something goofy and diabolical about it, especially when it comes to light that the chicken’s race, the Nurgles, will destroy Earth unless they get Earth’s most valuable resource. And so begins their race against time to figure that out, and then how to send intangible, abstract things to the Nurgles. I appreciated how it went into things like loneliness, jealousy, and hope, but that part just completely lost my son.

Bertie and the Alien Chicken is a cute book. After a strong, funny start, it evolved into a softer, cozier story about humanity and what’s really important to us. Did I think my son appreciated it? Not really, but maybe one day. As a parent, I quite liked it. It’s cute and offers some lessons on being a person living on Earth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed belong to my son and me.

I love a strange, quick, middle-grade comedy and of course, that’s exactly what I was looking for when I picked this up!

Bertie isn’t happy about spending the summer at his uncle’s farm because it stinks and is miles away from his friends. But he didn’t bank on meeting an alien disguised as a chicken and discovering the most valuable resource on Planet Earth.

Alexei Bitskoff’s illustrations bring the book to life and many of these pictures made me laugh out loud. There’s something about Bertie’s facial expressions in most of them that really tickled me. The ones depicting the ‘Nargle agreement ritual’, which involves rubbing butts together, were particular favourites!

The alien chicken isn’t really scary, although he likes to think he is. I loved the fact that this book gave me about 30 minutes of pure nonsense with absolutely zero threat and a little break from the anxieties of the world. Sometimes, you can’t beat that!

The humour is silly but it manages to retain a level of childish stupidity without overdoing it. It’s not so silly that it becomes dull and that’s a pretty difficult thing to do, when writing juvenile comedy. So, full credit to Pearson for achieving that!

Of course, it’s not all talking farm animals and butt rubbing -there is a profound message too! Ultimately, friendship is the big prize at the end of the story and it’s reiterated that we should all strive to make real, long-lasting connections with each other. Bertie’s friendship with the alien chicken proves that we can be friends with beings who are different from ourselves and I think this is really what the book is telling its readers.

Bertie and the Alien Chicken is a very quick dose of funny larks and absurdity. It manages to balance itself out with a touch of morality, which was really lovely. I’m pretty sure readers of all ages will get some enjoyment out of it because it’s exactly what it promises to be and the perfect starting point for reluctant readers who love to laugh.

This is a totally uproarious story of Bertie and what happens when he has to go and stay at his uncle's farm. He would much rather be back in the city and can't imagine having much to do during the summer holiday. However, he did not think that he would find an alien chicken (it's a disguise) lurking in the barn and Bertie soon finds himself having all kinds of adventures as he tries to stop the alien civilization from obliterating our world. A brilliantly funny story for the newly confident reader and I can't wait to read more of Bertie's adventures.

Bertie and the Alien Chicken by Jenny Pearson was a winner! Very silly and a whole lot of fun! The perfect book for your kid on summer holiday :)

Barrington Stoke continue to work with the very best in the business and Jenny Pearson is the latest in a long line of literary royalty to have been snapped up by the publisher. In her debut, chicken on a mission and young boy tasked with saving the planet serve up a very thoughtful look at life that would make for a brilliant lesson around what we value, the tangible and the intangible.

Bertie is not pumped to be heading to Long Bottom Farm and having to stay with his Uncle Brian for the summer, he’d much rather be heading off to America with his mum. A holiday of rounding up cows, metal detecting and making friends with the livestock becomes wildly more exciting when he meets chicken Nugget (LOL), an alien in disguise from the planet Nurgle-7.

Nugget has been sent to Earth by his overlord, the High Emperor, on a mission to find Earth’s most valuable resource. Now Nugget and Earth are both dependent on Bertie because if he cannot find what Nugget needs then alien chicken won’t be going home and the planet will be exterminated…

Brimming with Jenny’s trademark humour and heart this laugh-a-minute, saving-the-world, intergalactic farmyard caper is as funny and rib-tickling as it is wise and challenging. What really is the most valuable resource on Earth? According to the internet…data. Personally, I’d be going for pickled onions judging by the amount I devoured over Christmas.

Confusion galore and plenty of silly antics ensue as human and chicken search for the answer, and when they do figure it out the moment is touching and thought-provoking. Not all things that are valuable are tangible and it is those feely-things that are perhaps what are most precious to us all. And it is feelings that are the real winners here; loneliness, dreams, kindness, happiness and the magical gift of friendship as Pearson challenges us to think about what makes us human and the importance of understanding how we feel.

The fact that Jenny is able to deliver such an engaging, enjoyable and emotionally intelligent story in one-hundred-and-twelve glorious pages is testament to her skill as a writer. And accompanied by Aleksei Bitskoff’s brilliant illustrations, all loaded with humour, this is sure to be a winner with children of all ages whether read independently, enjoyed as a class or shared at bedtime. Jenny, I would love to see more of Nugget and Bertie in the future!

As with all Barrington Stoke titles the book is published using dyslexic friendly font and colours so everyone can access this read. With huge thanks to the publisher for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 8+.

This book is brilliant! It's short, insightful, hilarious and one of the most poignant stories I've read. I've been a fan of Jenny Pearson for a good while and this is just geniusely crafted. Who thought a story set on a farm which focusses on a boy's conversations with an alien chicken could explore the meaning and value of life?
Having a short word count makes the writing in this piece extra smart and extra funny. The plot is sharply executed with precision and pace. Every sentence counts and every sentence is interesting to read. I'd highly recommend it to every child, parent and teacher who enjoys funny books and it would make a brilliant classroom text.

This is the first Jennie Pearson book I've read and it won't be the last. I also have a great love for Barrington Stoke books as they are suitable for so many children. I love introducing children to these books - both those needing the coloured paper, special text and line spacing and those who are new to chapter books or have a problem with larger books.

The book is funny yet includes lots of family issues. Bertie is on the way to his Uncle Brian's farm when we meet him and he is not happy about it. Mum has a work trip to America and he has to stay on a farm! A smelly farm! He has lots of reasons he shouldn't have to! He can't go to Dad's - he has a new baby.

When they arrive, Mum is already late. So she leaves quickly. Bertie smells the farmyard smell as soon as he gets out of the car! Uncle Brian tells him to swap his trainers for wellies, as he's going inside he's hit on the head by a chicken - who he screams at, then says sorry - but the chicken says "I should think so!" A talking chicken!
Bertie is followed by the chicken to help move the cows, and then when metal detecting later. Turns out the chicken isn't quite what it seems.
Bertie learns a lot about himself and his feelings in this story.
I would love to get this for school.

Classic Jenny Pearson story!

She has such a way with words and emotions balanced with just the right amount of humour and wit. Bertie is not keen on spending time on his Uncle’s farm. His mum is off on a work trip and his Dad has a new baby with his new wife. Bertie is feeling abandoned and lonely, not to mention grumpy at the sights and smells of the farm.
When a chicken leaps at him, Bertie screams until the chicken shushes him and threatens him, it turns out this is no ordinary chicken…this is an alien chicken, one sent on a mission to find Earth’s most valuable resource. If Nugget’s mission fails, then Earth will be exterminated.
As they figure out what the most valuable resource is, the pair get to know each other and find a companionable friendship.
Bertie and Nugget figure out how to complete the mission in a surprising and heartfelt way!
Humorous, heartwarming and lovey- what a great pairing of author, publisher and illustrator!


Just one thing to mention…Bertie’s Dad’s girlfriend is called Mina at the beginning but then this switches to Nancy later on….

Jenny Pearson and Barrington Stoke was destined to be a formidable partnership and this certainly delivers.

Brilliantly funny and genuinely insightful this wonderful little book asks some pretty deep questions about what it is to be human alongside a truly comic storyline.

Fab! 👽🐓🛸

My 8-year-old nephew loved this book! He loved the premise of the story, the characters and the easiness to understand. He's ready for the next book.

A great story by Jenny Pearson which made me laugh out loud in several places. Bertie is staying with his uncle on a farm during the holidays and is not pleased about it, but it gets more interesting when he finds himself meeting an alien chicken. together they have to find earths most valuable resource before the aliens destroy earth. Working together they find the value of friendship along the way and Bertie discovers life isn't as bad as he thought on the farm. A lovely read for children of all ages but especially age 7 up who will love the short chapters and humour

Jenny Pearson is back with a hilariously far-out farmyard adventure perfect for readers in Year 2 onwards. Bertie does not want to spend the summer with his uncle at Long Bottom Farm. It’s smelly, muddy and not very much fun. Everything changes when he meets Nugget, an alien chicken, who is trying to find the most important resource on Earth. Bertie joins in his quest with unusual results.

In true Jenny Pearson style, this brilliant story encourages children to think about what really matters to them. In their quest to find the world’s most important resource, Bertie and Nugget discover the value of friendship, family and a sherbet lemon.

This made me chuckle and will certainly appeal to my reluctant readers. Many children will be able to relate to feeling reluctant when they first encounter animals on a farm or go to spend a holiday with a relative. I wonder how their feelings would change if they were to encounter an alien chicken with a plan.

Cute story of Bertie who is forced to go live on a farm for the summer, only to discover that there is an alien who has made themselves look like a chicken, so no one will know.

Bertie has to convince the chicken, and their people, that the earth is not worth invading, and that they can offer them better things than being invaded.

Since, we have not been taken over by aliens, as far as we know, I would say that Bertie succeeded.

Cute, funny book, written for kids that are below their reading level, but doens't talk down to them.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

Laughu out loud funny!
Berries makes friends with a chicken and has to help save planet Earth. A really lovely story about friendship and funding out what is important to us. I hope there is a 2nd book with a visit for Bertie!

It’s the summer holidays and Bertie is less than impressed with the plans that have been made for him. His mum is off to America on a work trip. His dad hasn’t got time for him at the minute as he’s got a baby to look after with his new partner. So Bertie is going to be staying on a farm. With his Uncle Brian.

Bertie rarely sees his Uncle Brian and for a good reason. He’s quick to tell his mother this before being dropped off, finishing off by asking, “Do you think all the gas from the animals farts has messed up his brain?”

As soon as Bertie’s mother leaves the premises of the farm, Uncle Brian wastes no time in getting Bertie to work on the farm and he’s less than impressed. Things go from bad to worse when a chicken collides with his face. A chicken that proceeds to say “Whoops!” before covering its beak with its wing. The classic, “I shouldn’t have done that” look.

Later Bertie confronts the chicken and discovers that it is in fact an alien, disguised as a chicken, who goes by the name of “Nugget”. It explains that it was sent to Earth from Nurgle-7 to try and extract Earth’s most valuable resource. Failure to do so and Earth will be destroyed. And so ensues a heartfelt and very funny story as Bertie tries his best to help Nugget complete his mission. But what could Earth’s most valuable resource be?

I have been a huge fan of Jenny Pearson’s ever since “The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates” hit the shelves. So I was very pleased to see her promoting this new book recently, especially as it is a Barrington Stoke release too. A very funny book that could be enjoyed across KS2. A brilliant read that I think reluctant readers can really enjoy. Looking forward to sharing this one with my class.

This book is fun, thought provoking and discussion-worthy. It's great for the intended middle grade audience (9-14y).

Bertie has to go and stay on his uncle's farm over the summer and he's really not looking forward to it. He does not want to stay on a stinky farm, with nothing to do.

Almost as soon as he arrives, he is tasked (by an alien chicken, no less), to produce Earth's most valuable resource and save his planet.

The book is designed for older readers who have a slightly younger reading age and I think this could work well as a group read, with discussion.