Starla Jean - by Elana K Arnold (Paperback)

About the Book

"When Starla Jean and her dad take their double bike to the park, they have no idea they'll be leaving with a new (feathered) friend. "If you can catch it, you can keep it." Starla Jean's dad tells her when she spots a scrawny chicken pecking the dirt. Determined, Starla Jean knows exactly what to do. What follows is the sidesplittting, irresistible adventure of one little girl, one little chicken, and a friendship that was destined to take flight."--Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

Printz Honor winner and National Book Award Finalist Elana K. Arnold makes her chapter book debut with this charming story of a girl and her chicken, irresistibly illustrated by A. N. Kang.

Introducing Starla Jean!

She's full of moxie, clever as a fox, and obsessed with catching a chicken she finds at the park.

When Starla first sees the scrawny bird wandering around, she just knows they're destined for one another. Her dad says, "If you can catch it, you can keep it," and Starla Jean is not one to back down from a challenge.

Review Quotes

* "This series starter features Starla Jean's exuberant first-person narration, liberally punctuated with dialogue with her family and neighbors. Readers transitioning to early chapter books will appreciate the four short chapters and the limited amount of text per page, wide margins, and ample space between lines of text. Mercy Watson fans will flock to this whimsical new series for developing readers."--Kirkus, starred review

"Generous white space keeps the momentum rising as running text--a single thought, or sometimes even one word, including the chicken's initial squawk--stretches across spreads. A smattering of 'Fun Facts About Chickens' creates a humorously informative closing." -- Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Elana K. Arnold is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels (including Damsel and What Girls are Made Of) and children's books (What Riley Wore, A Boy Called Bat, and more). She lives in Southern California with her family and a menagerie of pets.

A. N. Kang is the creator of many delightful books for young readers, including The Very Fluffy Kitty, Papillon; My Big Bad Monster; Celebrate You!; and Squirrel's Family Tree. She lives in New York.