Best Picks for Storytime About Chickens

Toddler Read Alouds
Big Fat Hen by Keith Baker - MY FAVORITE
Charlie Chick by Nick Denchfield
Chick by Ed Vere (might want to skip the "poop" page)
Five Little Chicks by Nancy Tafuri
Here A Chick, Where A Chick? by Suse MacDonald
Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting
Little Red Hen by Byron Barton
Peek-A-Moo by Marie Torres Cimarusti
This Little Chick by John Lawrence
Wee Little Chick by Lauren Thompson
Where, Oh Where, Is Rosie's Chick? by Pat Hutchins (2016)
Who Says Woof? by John Butler

Preschool Read Alouds
Chicken Soup by Jean Van Leeuwen
Cock-a-Doodle Quack! Quack! by Ivor Baddiel
Dora's Chicks by Julie Sykes
First the Egg by Laura Seeger
Goodnight, Lulu by Paulette Bogan
Hoppity Skip, Little Chick by Jo Brown
Hungry Hen by Richard Waring
Little Chicken's Big Day by Kate Davis
Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone
Little Red Hen Makes A Pizza by Philemon Sturges
Peepsqueak!  by Leslie Ann Clark  ~ little chick wants to fly
Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins
Scary Mary by Paula Bowles
Something to Crow About by Megan Halsey Lane
Tillie Lays An Egg by Terry Golson
Tippy-Toe, Chick, Go by George Shannon
Wolf's Chicken Stew by Keiko Kasza

School Age Read Alouds
Big Chickens by Leslie Helakoski
Chicken and Cat by Sara Varon
Chicken Butt! by Erica Perl
Chicken in the Kitchen by Tony Johnston
Chicken Little by Ed and Rebecca Emberley
Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato
Chicken Scratches: Poultry Poetry and Rooster Rhymes by George Shannon
Chickens to the Rescue! by John Himmelman
Cock-a-Doodle-Hooooooo! by Mick Manning
Coriander the Contrary Hen by Dori Chacanas
If A Chicken Stayed for Supper by Carrie Weston
Problem With Chickens by Bruce McMillan
Sky is Falling by Mark Teague (2015)

Flannels, Songs and Story Extensions

Flannel story based on This Little Chick by John Lawrence
This little chick from across the way,
Went out to play with the cows one day,
And what do you think they heard him say?
"Moo! Moo!"

Repeat with horse, sheep, duck, etc.

Cluck Cluck, Red Hen
*Use a chicken puppet and two plastic eggs
**Tune of "Baa Baa, Black Sheep
Cluck, cluck, red hen, have you any eggs?
Yes, sir, yes, sir, as many as my legs: 1,2

Five Little Chicks Saying Cheep-Cheep-Cheep
Five little chicks saying, "Cheep-cheep-cheep."
Mama sent the first one off to sleep.

Five Little Chicks
The first little chick gave a squirm,
"I wish I could find a yummy worm."

The second little chick gave a shrug
"I wish I could find a crunchy bug."

The third little chick gave a squeal
"I want to have some corn for my meal"

The fourth little chick sighed with grief
"I wish I could find a fresh green leaf."

The fifth little chick gave a moan,
I’m so hungry, I could eat a stone."

"See here," said their mother, from the garden patch
"If you want something for dinner, just scratch-scratch-scratch"

Little Red Hen's Song
This is the way I plant the seed,
Plant the seed, plant the seed...
This is the way I plant the seed,
So early in the morning.

Repeat with: water the wheat, cut the wheat, go to the mill, make the dough, bake the bread and eat the bread

Additional Flannel Stories
- Based on "Big Fat Hen" by Keith Baker
- Based on "Little Red Hen Makes a Pizza" by Philemon Sturges
- Based on "Singing Chick" by Victoria Stenmark
- Based on the original script that inspired "Five Little Chicks" by Nancy Tafuri