Catch That Chicken!

Lami is the best chicken-catcher in the whole village.

Her sister Sadia is speedy at spelling; her friend Fatima is fast at braiding hair; and her brother Bilal is brave with bulls but, when it comes to catching chickens, no one is faster or braver than Lami.

But on the day, she chases a chicken up into the baobab tree, Lami is going too fast. And while she’s leaping, lunging, scrambling and snatching, she slips, falls and hurts her ankle so badly that it puffs up like the neck of an angry lizard.

How is Lami going to catch chickens now? Perhaps, as Nana Nadia says, what she needs is quick thinking rather than quick feet?

This joyful picture book fizzes with the energy, colour, rhythms and bustle of Nigerian village life and, by following Lami’s chicken-chasing antics, highlights plenty of cultural detail that could be the starting point for further discussion.

Alliterative text and repeated phrases will encourage children to join in while the vibrant illustrations are wonderfully expressive and intricate, so youngsters will enjoy chasing the chicken through the pages as much as Lami does.

A great book for reading to groups, as well as sharing at home.