Louise, The Adventures of a Chicken

Debra Leigh adopts a variety of expressive voices for the characters of this iconographic animated adaptation of the 2008 picture book by author Kate DiCamillo and illustrator Harry Bliss. Divided into four segments, the story follows adventurous chicken Louise, who leaves the henhouse looking for excitement. “Louise at Sea” finds Louise on a voyage that ends with pirates wanting to fricassee our heroine. After being saved by a wayward storm and paddling back to the farm, the chicken heads back out in “Louise Up High,” a circus vignette in which the little “coq au vin” auditions for the high wire and escapes a lion with the help of a clown. In “Louise Unbound,” Louise travels to a Middle Eastern bazaar, where after being imprisoned with other poultry she develops an escape plan. “And She Did” has Louise back at home, sharing her exciting stories with friends in relative comfort. DVD extras include a conversation with DiCamillo about her beginnings as a writer. Given the author's bestselling status, this is sure to be popular. Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (J. Williams-Wood)