It's an oldie but a goodie, for sure.
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| I love the B&W copy, but a 2013 colored edition is also available. |
Title: The Band-Aid Chicken
Author: Becky Henton
Illustrator: Harry Norcross
Publisher: Marco Products Inc.
Date: 1998 (1st edition)
Suitable for: ages 4-9
Fiction (based on real chicken pecking-order behavior)
Themes: acceptance, respect, courage
Brief synopsis: When a new chicken is introduced into the yard, the other chickens peck on its head to show it who's boss. The Farmer notices the new chicken's bruises, puts a bandage on its head, and calls it The Band-Aid Chicken. Now a survivor of their initiation ritual, the Band-Aid Chicken must decide if it's going to do what the others did to it and peck on the next newbie.
Opening Pages: How many of you have ever been picked on? Did you know that there is a pecking order among chickens?
If a new chicken is brought into a group, the other chickens will peck on the new chicken to show it who is in charge. This can hurt or even kill the new chicken.
This story is about a brave chicken who wanted the pecking to stop.
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| Isn't Henrietta AdOrAbLe? But don't call her a chicken - she prefers hen! |
Resources:
Get more info on the book and hen puppet from Marco {here}.
See how the Helpful Counselor uses the book {here}.
Check out the Sunset Ridge Counselor's post {here}.
Dance the Chicken Dance with my second graders:
Lyrics: If a bully bothers you,
and you don't know what to do
out at recess or in school,
talk, walk, then tell. (x4)
I'll be a buddy, not a bully,
I'll be a friend and take a stand.
I can swarm or go get a grown-up
so we can all lend a helping hand.
Compare and contrast with the following chicken-themed titles:
Why I like this book: Besides the fact that it was written by a counselor, I like this book because my kids like this book. They so readily connect pecking on with picking on and easily make the leap from the chicken coop to their classroom corral and from chickens to kids. I love the dilemma that the Band-Aid Chicken has when faced with whether or not to make a deal with the chickens whom she's dying to be friends with or to stand up to them and say no to hurtful, pecking behavior.
At the end of the lesson, we take the pledge in the back of the book to neverpeck pick on others and we seal the deal with a pillar-colored bandage that each student takes home as a visual reminder to never choose behaviors that might
hurt someone's heart. Eggcellent life lesson.
For today's PPBF titles, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.
Get more info on the book and hen puppet from Marco {here}.
See how the Helpful Counselor uses the book {here}.
Check out the Sunset Ridge Counselor's post {here}.
Dance the Chicken Dance with my second graders:
Lyrics: If a bully bothers you,
and you don't know what to do
out at recess or in school,
talk, walk, then tell. (x4)
I'll be a buddy, not a bully,
I'll be a friend and take a stand.
I can swarm or go get a grown-up
so we can all lend a helping hand.
Compare and contrast with the following chicken-themed titles:
Why I like this book: Besides the fact that it was written by a counselor, I like this book because my kids like this book. They so readily connect pecking on with picking on and easily make the leap from the chicken coop to their classroom corral and from chickens to kids. I love the dilemma that the Band-Aid Chicken has when faced with whether or not to make a deal with the chickens whom she's dying to be friends with or to stand up to them and say no to hurtful, pecking behavior.
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| This bucket was FULL of bandages before the lesson! |
At the end of the lesson, we take the pledge in the back of the book to never
hurt someone's heart. Eggcellent life lesson.
For today's PPBF titles, visit Susanna Leonard Hill's blog.
Pecking order is a harsh part of life. My kids have seen it first-hand with our own brood. I've never heard of this author or illustrator. Thanks for introducing me to something new!
ReplyDeleteWell I'm glad that I could introduce this one to you ... even though it's a "teenager" already! Thanks for stopping by the Corner, Joanne.
DeleteI didn't know there was a pecking order. What a great classroom book. I loved how the author turned this into a story about bullying. And, you were so creative with your class doing the chicken dance and changing the words to respect and not bully. That was great! You're an excellent teacher! I also enjoyed your other activities.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Pat, for your kind words. I knew when I was about 5 that I would be a teacher and I've been blessed with excellent role models along the way. You've shared so many fantastic titles with me that I'm glad I could introduce you to the Band-Aid Chicken!
DeleteThis book is new to me, too! Wild animals are harsh, but we hope to be more civilized.
ReplyDeleteOooo, I'm so happy to be introducing this old new title! Appreciate you stopping by, Wendy.
DeleteLooks great - thanks for the compare/contrast suggestions too - just put one on hold.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Julie. It really is a GREAT story and the three compare/contrast books are winners, too.
DeleteI love chicken books!! Our chickens can be brutal to each other sometimes. They are snippity hens! I think I need to read this book to them! I'll have to check it out.
ReplyDeleteYou'd be surprised, Rhythm, how many of my children had a connection to this story because they've either got chickens or have witnessed this pecking problem. I'm told the only way to solve it is to isolate the chicken who's being "hen pecked." Interesting ...
DeleteSuper classroom book with a great message without being preachy. Loved your resources today.
ReplyDeleteEgg-actly, Joanna ... not preachy at all. So subtle but SO so real. Thank you for your kind feedback.
DeleteGood one, Barbara! It's always important to impress on children the need to be kind to others. This looks like it would fit the bill.
ReplyDeleteThe puppet helped pique their curiosity because I put a bandage on her heart and told them that she came to our character school cause at her other school they called her a "turkey" and then a "chicken" ... she told them in no uncertain terms that she prefers to be called a "hen." Kids LOVED it!
DeleteWhat an excellent-sounding book! I had, of course, heard the phrase "pecking order" but I was unaware of its harsh origins. Thank you for both explaining the phrase, and introducing us to a great book.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Beth, for stopping by the Corner. I am so tickled that this is a new title to some of you! It really is one of my all-time faves, probably because we get to dance the Chicken Dance afterward! That happened by accident, actually, because when I first read it, one of the students said, "Look in the background, Mrs. Gruener, they're doing the Chicken Dance!" Bingo!
DeleteThis is a new one for me. I'm pinning for sure.
ReplyDelete❀ Tammy
Forever in First
Oh Tammy - your firsties will EAT it up!!
DeleteI too wondered where "pecking order" came from. Ouch! This looks like a great book to discuss bullying. Thanks Barbara!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure. I am thankful that you came by and took the time to comment in ... I guess that's also where we got the phrase "hen pecked."
DeleteThis looks like an eggcellent book! My son says Boo Boo Chicken ... perhaps he could learn the word band-aid from this book too.
ReplyDeleteOK, I LOVE boo-boo chicken!! Adorable. I predict the'll love this book ... so many places to pause and process. When I first read it ... those kids are freshman in HS now ... one little boy said to me, "Mrs. Gruener, you'd think that farmer could have done more for the chicken than just put a band-aid on its head." WoW ... talk about insightful. So I stopped and asked, "like what, Cameron?"
DeleteSounds like a cute one! I added it to my list!
ReplyDeleteGreat, Penny! I think you'll be glad you did.
DeleteBarbara...this is a MUST-HAVE book! Thank you so much for sharing it and the great activity links as well. I know that most of us can relate, even as adults, to being picked on. What a great book for young kids!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Vivian, for your kind affirmations. I do believe that this little treasure gets kids thinking long and hard about the harmful effects of hurtful behaviors. I hope you like it as much as we do!
DeleteWhat a great idea for a book, Barbara! I would think kids would relate pretty easily to the pecking-order behavior! And the dilemma that the chicken finds herself in is one so many kids have to face and make a choice about. Thanks so much for sharing this one - I think it's a valuable addition to our list!
ReplyDeleteI thought you'd like it, Susanna. It's so simple, yet so powerful.
DeleteI love this book and the link to the Chicken Dance song. Do you know the lyrics to the song? I can't make out some of it and I'd love to be able to teach it to my students.
ReplyDeleteIt just so happens that I wrote the lyrics! Here they are; feel free to change them up to meet your needs. Chorus: If a bully bothers you and you don't know what to do, out at recess or in school, talk, walk, then tell (repeat 4 x). Verse: I'll be a buddy not a bully; I'll be a friend and take a stand. I can swarm or go get a grown-up, so we can all lend a helping hand!
Delete