Interrupting Chicken and the Elephant of Surprise

SURPRISE! The little red chicken is back in David Ezra Stein’s follow-up to the Caldecott Honor book Interrupting Chicken. It’s homework time for the little red chicken, who has just learnt what every good story should have: an elephant of surprise. Or is it, as her papa suggests, an element of surprise? As they dive into some stories – looking for the parts that make you go “Whoa! I didn’t know that was going to happen!” – Papa is sure he can convince Chicken he’s right. After all, there are no elephants in The Ugly Duckling, Rapunzel or The Little Mermaid… Or are there?