The formidably funny duo of writer Adam Rubin (Dragons Love Tacos) and illustrator Adam Rex (On Account of the Gum) take readers on a wild hen chase through their version of ancient history in this knee-slapping, wing-flapping picture book romp.
In "Ancient Times," which Rubin qualifies as "three thousand years before your grandma's grandma's grandma was born," unassuming chicken Gladys lives an unassuming life until her friend the Shepherd Boy comes to believe she has granted his wish for beauty. He declares Gladys magical, making her the hottest commodity in the land. She passes through the hands of a host of archetypal characters straight out of sword-and-sandals central casting, including a whiskery Traveling Merchant, a Fearsome Pirate sporting an iron-haired bun and a pink skirt, and the Learned Princess, a Black teenaged scholar who becomes fond of the chicken. Because their wishes seem to come true in her proximity, the legend of Gladys grows even after a twist of fate brings her home.
Gladys hilariously "ploops" eggs during tense moments, dances a boogie when fed and sports a fixed, slightly anxious stare. Around the expressive characters, Rex's digitally rendered scenes include sun-dappled, soft-focus pastorals, stately palace interiors and a smoky, ferocious sea battle. Rubin's humorous narration strikes the perfect tone for reading aloud to groups of elementary schoolers. Readers are meant to laugh at the silliness of the wishes and how they are "granted," but Rubin concludes with a gentle reminder that seeing magic in the ordinary is a gift. Fittingly, Gladys gets the last word: "Ploop." --Jaclyn Fulwood, youth experience manager, Dayton Metro Library