Louise: The Adventures of a Chicken

Written by Kate DiCamillo

Narrated by Barbara Rosenblat

She longed for adventure.

So she left her home and ventured out into the wide world.

The pleasures and perils she met proved plentiful: marauding pirates on the majestic seas, a ferocious lion under the bright lights of the big top, a mysterious stranger in an exotic and bustling bazaar.

Yet in the face of such daunting danger, our heroine . . .


She was brave.


She was fearless.


She was feathered.


She was a chicken.


A not-so-chicken chicken.

Her name?

In four chapters, the intrepid chicken describes her escapades to her sister chickens, who cheer on her exploits all the while safely tucked in their henhouse.

Young children will delight in this zany tale which celebrates independence while offering the reassurance of home and friends.

A Live Oak Media audio production.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Live Oak Media
• Release date: Jan 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781430115380

Kate DiCamillo

Kate DiCamillo is the acclaimed author of many books for young readers, including The Tale of Despereaux, winner of the Newbery Medal; Because of Winn-Dixie, a Newbery Honor Book; and The Tiger Rising, a National Book Award finalist. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Reviews for Louise

[Christy Hall · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fun listen for all ages. Perfect for drives under 20 minutes.

[matthewbloome · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A collection of three short stories all about a restless chicken is a funny concept. The story was well executed too. The illustrations exhibit the peril and the emotion of each minisode in Louise's life, though the tale isn't exactly an emotional roller coaster. First and foremost, this is a humor story and it does the job in that regard. The book is a lot of fun.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Louise the chicken is adventure-bound in the three stories presented in this picture-book from two-time Nebery medalist Kate DiCamillo. In episode one Louise goes to sea, enduring a pirate attack and shipwreck in the course of her sailing life. In the second installment, she joins the circus as a tightrope walker, narrowly avoiding being eaten by the circus lion when she falls from her high perch. In the third and final tale, Louise finds her way to a far country (Near Eastern, by the look of it), where she is imprisoned by the tall, dark stranger about whom she'd been warned by a fortune-teller, and must make her escape.In each of the three stories in Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken, our heroine is led by a sense of wanderlust out into the world, and by a sense of homesickness and longing for peace and security back to her own farm. I found it interesting that in the final story, the point is made that chickens should be allowed to wander free, rather than living constricted lives in cramped quarters. Perhaps a commentary on modern agricultural production? It was also interesting to note that Louise turns from adventurer to storyteller at the close of the book, sharing the joys and terrors of her travels with her friends at home. I'm not sure that this is destined to be a favorite - it was pleasant, but mostly unremarkable - but I was interested to see what DiCamillo, whose novels for older children are so accomplished, would do with the picture-book form. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books featuring characters who march to the beat of their own drummer.

[ebarclift13 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a fantasy story of a chicken who goes on many adventures. Each day she leaves her safe and comfortable henhouse to set out on wild adventures such as a journey on a ship, performing in a circus, and being taken prisoner. After each adventure she always comes back to the henhouse, keeps her adventure a secret to the other hens and again sets out on another adventure. Following her final adventure she finally comes back to the henhouse and stays there sharing all her crazy adventures with the other hens/chickens.

[jill.haner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This also may be an early reader, as it has chapters. I like the story that Louise finds adventure rather dangerous and would rather be at home, but that she keeps trying. She wants to find an adventure that suits her. I like that she's brave enough to try new things, but willing to move on when she discovers that its not a good fit for her. The artwork is delightful. A chicken without beady eyes, and fantastic eyelashes. The muted colors used for background bring forth Louise. She is the only white on the page, so she is always the focal point of each page and chapter. This is another book my nieces loved. Especially when she was at the circus and we had to turn the book vertical to see Louise at the tippy top and the audience at the very bottom. It was a very clever scene.

[scote23 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Odyssey Award Winner for Best Audiobook 2010

I read this book along with the audiobook and I thought it was pretty cute. I thought there were better audiobooks last year (Marcelo in particular) but the book is cute. Louise isn't like the other chickens. She longs for adventure and boy does she get it!

[akmargie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

No wonder it won an Odyssey Award. Great illustrations too. Good for early elementary and strong female characters.

[lillged · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It's clear why this audiobook won the 2010 Odyssey Award. The music and sound effects combined with warm, rich voices and tone make for a truly pleasurable listen. There is also sufficient time to take in the images for younger readers who follow along with the book for an entirely engaging adventure into the story and reading.

[aconant05 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Louise is a chicken who longs for adventure. She finds herself in dangerous situations with pirates, at the circus, and in the Middle East, but she manages to find her way home every time and shares her tales with the rest of the coop. This book has a very unique storyline, as I have never read about a chicken that has done so much. The background illustrations are superb and have a more realistic feel than the illustrations of the characters.

[chefkeifus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great book for reading aloud to younger readers. Comes with CD for reading along. Excellent illustrations.

[laurakurtz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an entertaining crowd-pleaser, about Louisa, a brave chicken who longs for adventure. She finds it in several different adventures: with pirates on the seas, a lion under the big top, and with a mysterious stranger in a bustling bazaar. She always returns home to her fellow, less adventurous chickens, however. The story is fun and interesting, and Louisa as a heroine is pretty irresistible. The illustrations are well done, cartoon style that convey feeling and excitement without being too silly.

[lisabohman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is an adventure story about a regular chicken who grows bored of the chicken coup and leaves several times in search of an adventure. Louise the chicken encounters pirates on the high seas and lions in the circus. She realizes that her cozy home in the barn is where she likes best, but knows that she is a not so chicken chicken. This book reminded me of the How I Became a Pirate Book because it's about a regular being who grows bored with regular life and experiences adventure. This is a cute story about an adventurous and brave chicken. I would recommend this book to others. It is a great read aloud in classrooms and the pictures are vibrant and descriptive.

[readalouddenver · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very adventurous chicken, Louise leaves the comfort and safety of the henhouse and first sets out into the deep seas with sailors and marauding pirates followed by a high wire act in a circus and executing her and her fellow chickens' escape from a locked cage in a bazaar. Louise always made it safely back to the farm where in the end she tells the other chickens all about her adventures. This book has very rich vocabulary including: imprisoned, trembled, blarney, twilight, descent, bazaar, spectacularly, ringmaster, auditions and fricasee.

[pitcherbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Louise is utterly charming! A quiet, demure little hen with an itch to see the world beyond the chicken coop. So now and again she takes herself off and has the most marvelous adventures! But she always comes home. And when asked where she was - well, just out and about... When all is said and done, there truly is no place like home :-)

[dangerlibearian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Too long for read aloud, three chapters of Louise's adventures.

[ecugary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Kate DiCamillo's Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken provides an adventure story that reminds us that there's no place like home. Louise leaves the chicken coup to do battle with pirates and works in the circus to discover that although her life may be boring, adventure has its drawbacks. Children will love Louise and the adeventures she takes in Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken.

[kpalmer07 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book tells the story of Louise, a chicken with a desire for adventure. In the book Louise travels the sees and ends up in the middle of a battle with pirates, she walks a wire at the circus and almost gets eaten by a lion, and lastly she travels to a faraway land and gets stolen by a stranger and put in a cage with many chickens until she sets them all free. The one thing Louise realizes at the end of adventure is that home is best and where she always wants to return to.Media: Ink and Wash

[gildallie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a funny book about the trials of Louise who is a bit of an extraordinary chicken in that she often leaves her hen house in the search of things more exciting- which she finds. From being captured by pirates to meeting a tall dark stranger in a far off marketplace- who shakes her and throws her in a wire cage with several other clueless chickens. The story is wonderful and the illustrations are gorgeous realistic looking backdrops with a fun mix of rather cartoon looking characters.

[kdebros · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful book. I love the dramatic illustrations which complement nicely with a tale that could easily become a bit too silly. As it is, it's a brilliant combination of adventure story and barnyard creature.

[johnstod_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Bliss's artwork is a delight. There is so much to view in his scenes. Dicamillo writes with humor and thought in relating the theme of desired adventure versus safety of home.

[tiburon_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

an adventure tale about a chicken who escapes her ordinary life on a farm for grander horizons three separate times.