Chanticleer and the fox

Geoffrey Chaucer, d. 1400

Book - 1958

A sly fox tries to outwit a proud rooster through the use of flattery.

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Location Call Number   Status
Children's Room jE/Chaucer Checked In
Subjects
Genres
Picture books
Published
New York : Crowell c1958.
Language
English
Main Author
Geoffrey Chaucer, d. 1400 (-)
Other Authors
Barbara Cooney, 1917-2000 (-)
Item Description
"Adaptation of the 'Nun's priest's tale' from the Canterbury tales."
Physical Description
unpaged : ill
ISBN
9780690185621
9780808531142
Contents unavailable.
Review by Booklist Review

Ages 5-9. Jaunty art from the Disney archives graces every page in Roberts' sprightly retelling of a well-known Chaucerian tale. Chanticleer, his cockiness enhanced by the mistaken impression that his crowing makes the sun rise as well as by the admiration of the hens, runs for mayor. His election turns him into a nagging taskmaster, who demands that the hens produce more and more eggs. Thus, when sneaky Reynard enters the village, the frazzled hens are only too happy to respond to the fox's attention. He easily gains their support when he decides to oppose Chanticleer in the next election. His pride and anger aroused, the rooster challenges Se{{¤}}nor Poco Loco, Reynard's friend and an undefeated dueler, to a duel. Just at the crucial moment, Chanticleer is saved by the village police dog. The fox escapes, and Chanticleer announces a wholesome balance between work and play for the hens. The cartoon-style line and color wash drawings reveal the spunky and energetic characters with panache, and the message won't be lost on young readers. A guaranteed hit and a great read-aloud. (Reviewed Mar. 1, 1992)1562820222Deborah Abbott

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review

K-Gr 3-- Chanticleer may be a pompous old bird who needs to be taught a lesson , but he certainly never deserved such a misconceived picture book as this one. The illustrations and text are both lackluster and feeble. Missing are any touches of Chaucer's ribald tone and implicit violence or the lyrical charm of Cooney's Caldecott Medal picture book (Crowell, 1961). What this version has instead are Reynard's convoluted plans to defeat Chanticleer as mayor and a duel between Chanticleer and the notorious rooster, Senor Poco Loco (who is depicted just as stereotypically as his name implies). The illustrations, taken from a backlog of Disney storyboards that never saw the light of completion, are executed in pen-and-ink with watercolor washes and, like a good storyboard should, describe the action in a broad manner. However, storyboards do not make good picture books. Objects are suspended in air and figures jump, stand, and even juggle without benefit of a background. The page design is crowded with a cramped type style. And probably the cheapest shot of all is using the same illustration for both the first and last page. Overlook this tacky attempt and track down additional copies of Cooney's version. For more background on the character of Reynard, look to Selina Hastings's excellent Reynard the Fox (Tambourine, 1991), illustrated with Graham Percy's accomplished and delightful colored-pencil drawings. --Denise Anton Wright, Illinois State University , Normal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review

The classic tale about Reynard the Fox giving the rooster a proper comeuppance is captured in a less than adequate retelling and illustrated with vintage characters from the Disney archives. From HORN BOOK 1992, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.