Chooks in Space
The first book that we will look at for February 2024 is:
Chooks in Space
Written by Chris Collin
Illustrated by Megan Kitchin
Published by Funky Chicken

About the Author

Chris Collin is an award-winning author of wacky, rhyming children’s books and lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia.
His first book Funky Chicken: A Bushy Tale of Crocs and Chooks was released in March 2013.
This title was shortlisted for the 2014 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards and is in the Premiers Reading Challenge book list in Queensland, NSW and Victoria. This book is also listed as a literary resource in the Australian Curriculum (Qld C2C Year 3, Unit 7 –Poetry, alternative text).
His second book A Bug Called Doug was released in March 2013.
This title is in the Qld Premiers Reading Challenge book list and was long listed in the 2015-16 ISLN (International School Library Network) Red Dot Awards.
Chris’ book Funky Chicken: Chooks in Space, the second in the Funky Chicken series was released in August 2015 and was voted winner in the 2016 Speech Pathology Australia Book of the Year Awards! This book is also in the Premier’s Reading Challenge book list in Queensland and Victoria.
What I love about the pictures?
Megan Kitchin is a mum, primary school Teacher and Illustrator and what I love most is how she captures emotions on the faces of both kids and chooks.
Her pictures give you a sense of movement.
What I love about the story?
- Who wouldn’t love an aspirational funky chicken who builds his own rocket (It isn’t perfect – but hey it does the job) and takes a trip around the various planets.
- Space – great science theme.
- Chook has a goal and sets about achieving it.
- Recycling and upcycling – contemporary ideas.
- Humour – planets with stink bombs and fungus and cheese flavoured feed and a whole planet full of creatures with dots on their bums. – Chook thinks they are just like him???
- Suspense – is this chook going to make it back before his rocket falls apart.
- Timing and Rhyming is enjoyable in this book.
- Some lovely big words you can learn e.g. brilliant, spectacular, extra-terrestrial, fuselage, unique, flourished, drifting.
- It has its very own song.