Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur!) - by Linda Bailey (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Lena lives in a chicken coop, and she looks a lot like a chicken. But deep down, she's convinced that she's a--DINOSAUR! She can feel it in her bones. Lena just doesn't understand the scaredy chickens in her family, and they don't understand her either, with her ferociousness and big ideas. The people on the farm are also baffled, except for little Madeline, who thinks Lena has personality. And then, when a dastardly weasel turns up and threatens the coop, Lena's fearful family chickens out again. It's up to Lena to unleash her inner dinosaur like never before--to save the coop and show this silly bunch of chickens how to stand up for themselves"--

Book Synopsis

THREE STARRED REVIEWS! - Chicken Run meets Tiny T. Rex in this funny farmyard tale of a feisty chicken who is sure she is a dinosaur!

Includes a die-cut cover -- and back matter about how chickens (and all other birds) are the living descendants of dinosaurs!

Lena lives in a chicken coop, and she looks a lot like a chicken. But deep down, she's convinced that she's a . . . DINOSAUR! She can feel it in her bones. Lena just doesn't understand the scaredy chickens in her family, and they don't understand her either, with her ferociousness and big ideas. The people on the farm are also baffled . . . except for little Madeline, who thinks Lena has PERSONALITY.

And then, when a dastardly weasel turns up and threatens the coop, Lena's fearful family chickens out AGAIN. It's up to Lena to unleash her inner dinosaur like never before -- to save the coop and show this silly bunch of chickens how to stand up for themselves. And when Madeline's science fair project shows that chickens are the closest living relatives in the world to dinosaurs, Lena's family finally starts to see that -- holy hen house! -- they are all dinosaurs too!

Review Quotes

One of Publishers Weekly's Best Books of 2025

"Bailey's . . . wry narration is paced so it practically reads itself aloud. It's embellished by Steele's energetic pencil and watercolor cartoons, which incorporate dialogue in speech bubbles and offer plenty of visual chuckles." --STARRED REVIEW, The Horn Book

"Gloriously goofy pencil and watercolor illustrations by Steele . . . and theatrical dialogue from Bailey . . . imbue Lena with delicious levels of gravitas across a triumphant, fully fleshed-out work that delivers important observations about honoring one's nature." --STARRED REVIEW, Publishers Weekly

"By ­celebrating themes of self-identity, bravery, and scientific concepts in a fun, ­accessible way, this is valuable for young readers and for social-emotional learning. . . . offers a unique and engaging blend of fictional storytelling and scientific e­ducation, making it an excellent addition to school library collections." --STARRED REVIEW, School Library Journal

"An excellent opportunity for a dramatic read-aloud, the narration is paced in a fablelike style with sprinkles of jokey speech-bubble dialogue and a few scientific facts thrown in for good measure -- chickens are indeed among the closest living relatives to theropods. Steele's illustrations are a delightful match for Bailey's story. . . . A silly, skillful, and scientifically grounded tale." --Kirkus Reviews

"A hilarious story, elevated by Steele's uproarious illustrations (per usual), that also introduces some good knowledge." --Booklist

About the Author

LINDA BAILEY has written almost forty books for children, including three much-loved books about dinosaurs: If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur, Princesses Versus Dinosaurs and The Great Dinosaur Sleepover. Her books have been translated into twenty-two languages and have won a wide range of awards. She lives in Vancouver, Canada.

K-FAI STEELE is the author-illustrator of A Normal Pig and All Eyes on Ozzy! and has illustrated a number of other books, including Does a Bulldozer Have a Butt? and the Lone Wolf series. Born in Charlton, Massachusetts, she now lives in Stockholm, Sweden.