Spring Chicken

Amelia Egghart is no ordinary chicken; she’s a chicken with a dream. Ever since she was a chick, she’s been in training to achieve her goal and fly, fly longer than any chicken ever has before. She knows chickens aren’t very good at flying – in fact the longest a chicken has even flown for is 13 seconds (true – I checked) – but she’s not going to let that stop her, and fortunately her friend Ferguson is there to help. Mole Ferguson is a genius inventor, coming up with plan after plan to get and keep Amelia airborne. They’re all needed too because Amelia is so focused on her flying, that she forgets to pay attention to Ferguson’s last-minute instructions. Finally, after many failed attempts, Amelia’s dream comes true, in a totally unexpected way. With a light-touch message about the importance of persevering and gentle championing of STEM skills, Paul Nugent’s adventure is funny, satisfying and repeat readings will find lots of new things to enjoy. There are jokes for grown-ups to enjoy (take a look at the titles of the books scattered about the floor in Ferguson’s studio for example) and everyone will find Amelia and Ferguson delightful. You’ll believe a chicken can fly!