School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1--The small red chicken (first spied in Interrupting Chicken) who stars in Stein's book so closely mirrors the behavior of preschoolers that it will be hard for listeners not to nod along in recognition. Papa is awakened early by his young charge, who snuggles in with a book of nursery rhymes and makes the case for the cookies for breakfast in bed. Thus, "C is for cookies," as in Vitamin C, and "Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack--" breaks off to the interrupting chicken's version: "Brought me some cookies when I was sick!" Papa patiently debates, despite exhaustion, why they cannot have cookies for breakfast, or for lunch, but Chicken is adamant and, through drawings and wordplay, gets his way--with pancakes. It's all but impossible to resist these arguments, and story hours may need to include cookies for hungry participants. Comedic timing, characters' faces, and Chicken's persistence are a master class in interruption; Stein doesn't miss a beat. VERDICT Logic-defying retorts aside, this essential addition is a snug and hilarious version of quality time and the worthiness of a good argument.--Kimberly Olson Fakih, School Library Journal
Kirkus Review
The titular fowl is back, just in time for breakfast. Readers were first introduced to Stein's character when the irrepressible little red chicken had a hard time settling down at bedtime despite Papa's dogged efforts to calm his offspring with some fairy tales. This latest title takes place in the morning, and a wide-awake Chicken struggles to rouse Papa from bed with appeals for "cookies for breakfast." He resists this blandishment but acquiesces to a request for a snuggly reading of nursery rhymes--which Chicken, of course, interrupts. Repeatedly. The improvised, inserted rhymes persist in their advocacy of cookies for breakfast, and the series' trademark metafictive play of books within a book depicts familiar Mother Goose characters startled by Chicken's intrusion (with cookies) into their rhymes. "There was an old woman / who lived in a shoe. / She had so many -- // 'Cookies, she gave me a few!' " yells Chicken, jumping in through the window and startling the old woman, who's just taken a sheet of cookies out of the oven. On the next page they sit down to a cozy snack of tea and cookies. Papa and Chicken's scenes are done in rich, full color, while the nursery-rhyme pages are done as bleached-out cartoons. A culminating rhyme of Chicken's own devising fails to convince Papa of the merits of cookies for breakfast, but he has another treat in store for his little chick: pancakes. A sweet and silly read for any time of day. (Picture book. 3-7) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
It's Saturday morning in the chicken household, when Papa is abruptly awakened by his little red chick, who announces the arrival of breakfast in bed. That sounds promising, but upon learning that cookies are the only food offered, Papa makes it clear that cookies are suitable for dessert or for snacks, but not for breakfast. Still, he does agree to read a book of nursery rhymes. Strangely, several of the seemingly familiar verses have nontraditional endings, as in "Jack be nimble, / Jack be quick, / Jack--brought me some cookies / When I was sick." Papa remains adamant on the cookies-for-breakfast issue, but suddenly hungry, he decides to top the red chick's idea by making cakes for breakfast: pancakes! Pages of the nursery rhyme book are illustrated in delicate hues, contrasting strongly with the richly colorful main illustrations. Full of childlike humor, the second sequel to the Caldecott Honor Book Interrupting Chicken (2010) will please children with its strong characters, their conflicting viewpoints, and their mutual affection. A satisfying choice for reading aloud.
