This animated adaptation of cartoonist Sam Wedelich’s debut picture book stars a Chicken Little character sporting huge red eyeglasses and matching red boots. After a “bonk” on the head, the inquisitive hen asks the sky about the possibility of falling. While standing atop a ladder to check on it, Chicken Little is spied by another hen who begins warning the other barnyard creatures about impending doom, resulting in “utter-hen-demonium.”
Lauren Ezzo narrates in somewhat deep, though not scary, tones and plucky background music backs up animated images of barnyard chicks frantically running away, even refusing shelter because “We’re free-range!” Yelling in unison “Cut the fence,” the brood is told by Chicken Little that it’s dangerous to run with scissors and if they cut the fence, they are opening themselves to outside predators.
With only a nod to the familiar folk tale (Henny Penny, Cocky Lockey, Ducky Lucky, Turkey Lurkey, and other well-known characters are missing here), this fun tale works as a stand-alone cautionary story in which the heroine calms the flock and asserts that she wasn’t afraid of anything. This also could be paired with another Weston Woods DVD, the 2010 read-along of Rebecca and Ed Emberley’s joyful adaptation of the original tale. Recommended. Aud: E.