"Surprise! The little red chicken is back - and as endearingly silly as ever - in David Ezra Stein's follow-up to the Caldecott Honor-winning Interrupting Chicken. It's homework time for the little red chicken, who has just learned about something every good story should have: an elephant of surprise. Or could it be an element of surprise (as her amused papa explains)? As they dive in to story after story, looking for the part that makes a reader say 'Whoa! I didn't know that was going to happen,' Papa is sure he can convince Chicken he's right. After all, there are definitely no elephants in 'The Ugly Duckling,' 'Rapunzel,' or 'The Little Mermaid' - or are there? Elephant or element, something unexpected awaits Papa in every story, but a surprise may be in store for the little red chicken as well. Full of the same boisterous charm that made Interrupting Chicken so beloved by readers, this gleeful follow-up is sure to delight fans of stories, surprises, and elephants alike."
"Acclaimed award-winner David Ezra Stein has fans old and new at his command with this comical dog's-eye view of having a best friend. Many dogs have human owners. Not this dog. He fetches his own slippers, curls up at his own feet and gives himself a good scratch. But there is one spot, in the middle of his back, that he just can't reach. So one day, he lets a human scratch it. And the poor little chap follows him home. What can the dog do but get a lead so he can take the chap around? Dog lovers of all ages will revel in the humorous role-reversal as this dog teaches his human all the skills he needs to be a faithful companion. This is a funny new picture book from this Caldecott Honor-winning author-illustrator. It offers a twist on the boy-and-his-dog story that has both humour and lots of heart. David Ezra Stein is emerging as a unique and exciting voice in the picture-book world."
"David Ezra Stein is an accomplished author of children's books and has been honored with the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. In Interrupting Chicken, Papa warns little red chicken not to interrupt as he sets about reading their nightly bedtime stories-but the eager chicken just can't help warning the fairy-tale characters about the dangers they face. Frustrated to no end, Papa finally gives the little chicken the chance to tell a tale. Now will Papa be able to stop himself from interrupting?"
