Search Results for: the chicken of the family

Summary

When Henrietta’s big sisters tease her about being a chicken, Henrietta takes it to heart. She runs away to Barney’s farm to find her real family, makes friends with the chickens, and discovers that it’s wonderful to be a chicken, after all.

The Chicken of the Family has received many honors and has appeared on the children’s choice master lists in Vermont, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Utah, and more.

Genre: Fiction

Themes: Chickens, gullibility, sibling rivalry, sisters, teasing.

Length: 5-10 minutes

For Ages: 5-10 years

Roles: Narrator, Henrietta, Clare, Kim, Chickens (as many as you please), Barney

Suggestions/Notes

Share the fun: Videotape your Reader’s Theater performance, post it on YouTube (make sure you have parents’ permission) and send it to Mary Amato, so she can feature it on her website.

Discuss: When Mary Amato was three years old, her big sisters tried to convince her that she was a cow and that if she misbehaved, she’d have to go back to the pasture. How do you think this made Mary Amato feel? Encourage a discussion about teasing and gullibility.

Musical available: A script and score for The Chicken of the Family musical is available by request. Contact Mary Amato, then share this information with your local theater company.

The Chicken of the Family

Story copyright © 2008 Mary Amato; script copyright © 2009 Mary Amato. This script may be freely copied and performed for any noncommercial purpose; however, it cannot be posted online without permission.

Narrator: Henrietta had two older sisters who loved to tease her. She hated it when they laughed at her and made fun of her games. One night, Henrietta was lying in bed trying to decide what to dream about when…

Kim and Clare: Boo!

(Henrietta screams.)

Kim: We have a secret to tell you. You’re a chicken.

Henrietta: Ha, ha.

Kim: It’s true. Mom got you from Barney’s farm. Didn’t she Clare?

(Clare nods.)

Henrietta: But I don’t even look like a chicken.

Kim: You do too. Look. Your legs are yellow and your toes are long.

Narrator: Henrietta’s legs were kind of yellow, and her toes were long.

Henrietta: What about feathers? I don’t have any feathers.

Kim: Yes you do. You grow feathers every night and we have to pluck them out before you wake up. That’s our job. It’s why we get more allowance than you do. Right, Clare?

(Clare nods.)

Henrietta: I don’t believe you.

Kim: What do you eat for breakfast every morning?

Henrietta: Cereal.

Kim: Aha! That’s what chickens eat! And what do we eat every morning?

Henrietta: Eggs.

Kim: Where do you think we get the eggs from?

Henrietta: From the grocery store?

Kim: Wrong! We get them from you!

Henrietta: You do not!

Kim: Sweet dreams, Henrietta.

Clare: Sorry.

Narrator: Poor Henrietta tried to sleep but she couldn’t stop worrying. What if they were telling the truth? She closed her eyes and chanted…

Henrietta: I am not a chicken! I am not a chicken!! I am not a chicken!!!

Narrator: The chant helped her fall asleep.

(Henrietta sleeps. Kim and Clare sneak in and put egg and feathers near Henrietta.)

Narrator: When Henrietta woke up, she jumped out of bed and looked in the mirror.

Henrietta: Look! I’m not a chicken. I’m a girl! A perfectly normal girl!

Narrator: But there in her bed was an egg.

(Henrietta gasps loudly.)

Narrator: And on her floor were two brown feathers.

Henrietta: Feathers! My sisters are right! I really am a chicken.

Narrator: She crept down the stairs and peeked in the kitchen. Her family was gathered around the breakfast table. Kim was singing her “I love bacon song.”

Kim (singing): I love bacon!

Narrator: Clare and her parents were laughing and joining in…

All (singing): We love bacon!!!

Narrator: They sounded so… human. Henrietta couldn’t face them. She had to find her real family, so she slipped out the front door and walked down the road to Barney’s farm. A dozen chickens were out, strutting in the long grass.

Henrietta: It’s me! I’m Home!

Brown Chicken: Cluck. Cluck.

Henrietta: Are you my little sister? It would be nice to have a littler sister for a change.

Brown Chicken: Bawk!

Henrietta: Bawk! Bawk!

Narrator: Another chicken flapped her wings… Henrietta flapped her wings…! The chickens strutted around, and Henrietta followed. They flapped their wings and rolled in the dirt. They even played a game of tag. Henrietta was “it” when Kim and Clare came on their bikes.

Kim (panting): We’ve been looking for you everywhere. You’ve got to come home or we’re in big trouble. Mom and dad are mad at us because you ran away! Clare squealed and told them how we teased you about being a chicken.

Henrietta: But I am a chicken!
Clare: You aren’t. We made that up.

Henrietta: What about the egg in my bed and the feathers?

Kim: Don’t be silly. We put those there to fool you.

Henrietta: I don’t believe you.

Kim: What a dumbhead! You’re not a chicken.

Henrietta (to chickens): You would never call me a dumbhead, would you?

(Chickens shake their heads and cluck.) (To sisters): They’re nicer to me than you guys.

Kim (loudly): But you’re not a chicken!

Henrietta: This is a peaceful meadow. Please use a peaceful voice.

White Hen: Bawk, bawk.

Farmer Barney enters.

Farmer Barney: Hey girls, what’s all the squawking about?

Clare: Henrietta thinks she’s a chicken.

Farmer Barney: Chickens are the greatest. I wouldn’t mind being one myself.

Henrietta: Can I stay here with the other chickens?

Farmer Barney: Always got room for another free-ranger. (He exits.)

Kim: (angrily) You want to get us into trouble.

Henrietta: I’m just a chicken. What do I know about trouble?

Kim: Come on Clare. Let’s go.

Clare: Mom is going to be mad at us. I don’t want to go home.

Kim: You are such a chicken Clare!

Clare: Maybe I am a chicken. Can I be a chicken with you Henrietta?

Henrietta: Always got room for another free-ranger.

Kim: I don’t believe this. I am so outta here! (She exits.)

Clare: So, what do we do now?

Henrietta: We’ll play follow-the-leader. It’s easy, just follow me. Bawk Bawk.

Clare: Bawk. Bawk.

(Henrietta, Claire, Brown Chicken, White Hen bawk and cluck noisily.)

Narrator: They flapped their wings in a glorious, uproarious chicken dance, and everybody in the meadow joined in. Oh, how wonderful to be a chicken after all.

All: The End.

Optional Ending: Show Kim getting lectured by parents.

Synopsis

Being the youngest in the family is tough enough, but when Henrietta’s oldest sister Kim convinces her that she’s really a chicken instead of a human being, poor Henrietta goes into full panic mode. She runs away to the farm to find her “real” family. What she discovers there helps her to turn the tables on her mean sisters and overcome her worst fears.

Production details

Flexible casting makes this suitable for professional theater and/or school performances. A minimum of five actors is necessary (four females and one male); however, an unlimited number of children could be added to the cast as wing-flapping, toe-tapping chickens because one can never have too much onstage poultry.

Running time: Approximately 45 minutes

Score: Arranged for guitar

Permissions/royalities: Royalty waived for school productions; sliding-scale royalty for professional theatres.

For more information or to read a copy of the script/score, please contact the authors. info at maryamato dot com.

Premiere information

The Chicken of the Family: The Musical premiered at Charter Theatre (at Theatre-in-the-Run, Arlington, Virginia) in April 2008, produced by Nan Kyle Ficca and directed by Doug Wilder, with the following cast:

• Henrietta … Kristin Rogers
• Kim … Alison Wright
• Clare … Bronwen Grebe
• Mom/Chicken #1 … Leigh Anna Fry
• Dad/Chicken #2 … Dane C. Petersen

Each Monday morning, I’ll post a writing activity or lesson that can be done at home. Find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also, see and share my resources below.

Poetry Post Challenge

UNTIL MAY 30, 2020…To motivate creative writing, I am inviting school-age students to send me a poem with parents’ permission using my guidelines. I’m choosing one every two weeks to share via a video message. If you missed the chance to participate, let me know if you’d be interested in my offering a new challenge in the future.

Free Audio Books

During these challenging times, I’m releasing new works on audio for free. Available for free listening through June 30, 2020.

Good Crooks Book Four: Quackily Ever After
Fans of my Good Crooks book series are dying to know what happens to Billy and Jillian! Starting April 1st, I’ll be releasing several audio chapters per week until the book is done! Best for ages 7-10.

The Chicken of the Family Collection: Six gentle stories about 4-year-old Henrietta and her loving, funny family. Best for families with children ages 3-6 to enjoy together.

School Zoom or Skype Sessions

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Private Zoom or Skype Sessions

I’ve been teaching private and small-group lessons via Skype  for years for all ages. Creative writing, songwriting, and ukulele. Affordable lessons can be scheduled.

Teaching Packet to Show Writing and Publishing Process

A free packet that shows the step-by-step writing and publishing process including real examples of brainstorming, drafts, research, revising, and more.

How-to (Write) Handouts

• Story Writing Challenge (article in the Washington Post)
• How to Write a Mystery (for elementary school students)
• Tips for Keeping a Diary
• Tips for Keeping a Writer’s Notebook
• Tips for Parents to Encourage Creative Writing
• Tips for Teachers to Encourage Creative Writing
• Helping Writers to Get Started (and also tips to overcome writer’s block)
• Tips for How to Become a Writer
• How to Write an Author
• How to Write a Funny Poem
• Tips for Using Theater Games and Techniques in the Classroom
• See also: Writing Blog
• See also: Contests and Magazines that accept kids’ submissions

Revision Examples for Creative Writing Lessons

• From: Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life: The Riot Brothers Tell All
• From: Invisible Lines
• From: The Naked Mole-Rat Letters
• From: Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook

Reader’s Theater Scripts

• The Chicken of the Family
• Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook
• Good Crooks Book One: Missing Monkey!

My DIY Videos

Creative Writing Lessons

• My Want-Obstacle Spiral Exercise for revising a novel.
• My “big paper” process in revision.
• My Writer’s Notebook shows how I use my small notebooks in my writing process.
• Editing and Publishing Process (shows the editing and publishing process for Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook)
• How to Hear a Character’s Voice (gives four tips for writing to hear your character’s voice)
• Writing Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook (explains how one character took over story; shows writer’s notebook in use)
• Writing Invisible Lines (shows writing process, including webs, drafts, and revisions for Invisible Lines)

Miscellaneous

• Answers About The Naked Mole Rat Letters
• A Message for Kids (about turning off TV)
• Why Even Writers Need Math (showing how I use math in my professional life).
• Mary Amato Books Slideshow (slideshow of all book covers)
• How to Make a Dutch Baby (from Riot Brothers)
• Mushrooms on Display (shows images of mushrooms that inspired Invisible Lines)
• Stinky and Successful Acceptance Speech
• Example of Student Shadow Theater Project (Script Writing, Puppetry, Film Making) Octopoda Papyrus

Reading Rocket Interview Videos about Creative Writing Process:

• Writing Process Interviews with Reading Rocket
• Notebooks and diaries
• Expressing big emotions
• Capturing memories on paper
• Writing to find meaning
• The hard middle of the draft
• Ideas come from the world around you
• Rejection is an opportunity
• Finding time to write
• Dreaming and writing without being evaluated
• My secret: the WOW
• The WOW in action
• The natural flow
• Writing is like sports
• Making mistakes is liberating
• Improv revision
• Two strategies for reluctant writers
• Collaborative journals
• Exploring character through writing
• Songwriting about science
• Why we read

Curriculum Connections, Book Discussion Guides, Activity Guides

• Lucy McGee Series page link with mp3s, karaoke recordings, videos, and more.
• Lucy McGee Series reading and teaching guide.
• Our Teacher is a Vampire and Other (Not) True Stories:  Activity Guide; Writing Process Packet.
• Good Crooks: Common Core Teaching Guides for Book One and Book Two.
• *Guitar Notes: Resources (Discussion Guide, Interdisciplinary Exploration Unit, and more)
• General Songwriting: Resources (Songwriting Lesson Plan, Songwriting Notebook, Videos and more)
• *Edgar Allan’s Official Investigation Notebook:  Interdisciplinary Exploration Unit (10 pages); Book Discussion Guide (1 page); Poetry Activities
• *Invisible Lines: Interdisciplinary Exploration Unit (9 pages); Book Discussion Guide (2 pages)
• Please Write in This Book: Activity Guide; Interview with Illustrator Eric Brace
• *The Naked Mole-Rat Letters: Reading Guide
• *The Word Eater: Reading Guide; The Word Eater Guide (by Melissa Henderson)
• The Riot Brothers Book Group Lesson Plans (by Tammy Posner and Jenny DeCuir)
• Snarf Attack, Underfoodle, and the Secret of Life: Activity Guide
• Drooling and Dangerous: Activity Guide 
• Stinky and Successful: Activity Guide
• Take the Mummy and Run: Activity Guide 
• Vocabulary List for Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook

*STEM and STE(A)M related novels and chapter books: Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook (forensics, chemistry, poetry), Invisible Lines (mycology, biology, naturalist’s notebook, sketchbooks, visual arts), Guitar Notes (physics, music, songwriting), The Word Eater (scientific method, language arts), The Naked Mole-Rat Letters (biology, zoology, writing, psychology)

Music Resources:

• ALA’s ALSC blog post on Ukes in Libraries.
• My resources on Ukes in Libraries
• Mary Amato Kid Songs Songbook
• Mary Amato Music Resources
• Blogposts related to music or songwriting

Further Activities:

• Good Crooks Stick Puppets
• Poetry Writing Activities (from Edgar Allan’s Official Crime Investigation Notebook)
• How to Make Mini Books
• Mushroom Sculpture (art idea related to Invisible Lines)
• How to Make a Spore Print (science/art activity related to Invisible Lines)
• How to Go on a Mushroom Foray (science activity related to Invisible Lines)
• Mushroom Recipes (related to Invisible Lines)
• Dutch Baby Recipe from The Riot Brothers series.

Materials for Adults, Teachers, Librarians, etc.

Interviews

• Writing Process Interviews for Reading Rocket
• The Washington Post KidsPost: Parody Songwriting Lesson
• Hyattsville Wire
• The Hornbook
• Left to Write
• Author Amok
• Librarians in My Life–ALA

Essays

• Teen Diaries and A Visit to the Anne Frank House in Teen Librarian Toolbox (or in pdf form)
• Listening to Old Ghosts: The Influence of Wilder and Masters in Open Mic Night at Westminster Cemetery in Teen Librarian Toolbox (or in pdf form).
• Bring the Power of Music Into Your Library in Teen Librarian Toolbox (or in pdf form)
• Researching the Westminster Cemetery for Open Mic Night in Westminster Cemetery in Carolrhoda Lab’s blog (or in pdf form)
• Performing in an Open Mic for B&N Teen Blog, September 2018.
• Kidlit Characters Who Break Into Song, a blog post for Mr. Schu Reads. (Pdf form)
• Embracing Silliness: Essay about my experience with silliness in children’s fiction.
• Songwriting with Kids: Essay for Reading Rockets on my experience with one of my many songwriting residencies.
• Tiny Triumphs: Ukes in Libraries article for ALA’s ALSC blog.

Checklist for a Successful Skype

• Get ready for a Skype workshop or presentation with this Checklist.

Bookmarks and Postcards:

• • Please Write in This Book bookmark
  • “Write” poem by Mary Amato bookmark
  • Bookmarks for Schools created by parent volunteer. Quote bookmark. Book covers Bookmark. Write Bookmarks.
  • Good Crooks Postcard Front and Good Crooks Postcard Back

Display Materials:

You can use these to create author centers, bulletin boards, or posters.

• High Resolution Display Images (book covers and portrait shot)
• Foreign Editions
• Mary Amato’s childhood diaries and notebooks
• Encourage Diary Writing Display

If Mary Amato is coming to your school: Fun Author Info Sheet to photocopy and distribute, post on your school’s website, or share via email newsletter.