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Gladys the Magic Chicken

Author Adam Rubin
Illustrated by Adam Rex
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
11.63"W x 9.25"H x 0.43"D   | 19 oz | 24 per carton
On sale Oct 26, 2021 | 48 Pages | 978-0-593-32560-5
Age 3-7 years | Preschool - 2
Reading Level: Lexile AD900L | Fountas & Pinnell P
From the mega-bestselling author of Dragons Love Tacos and the mega-bestselling illustrator of The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, comes this hilarious new picture book about an irresistible chicken who unexpectedly finds herself on an epic journey during Ancient Times.

Gladys the chicken must be magic. After all, for everyone who encounters her, a wish is granted. The Shepherd Boy wishes to be beautiful, the Brave Swordsman wishes to join the Royal Guard, the Purple Pooh-bah wishes for his only daughter to be happy, and the Learned Princess wishes to escape the palace. And one by one, each of these wishes comes true. But . . . is Gladys really magic? Or is everyone making their own fortune? Either way, it adds up to one heck of an adventure for a chicken named Gladys. Blending a classic storybook feel with a thoroughly modern sense of humor, this side-splitting read aloud is perfect for anyone who wishes to see magic in the world—even if they are only looking at a chicken.
Praise for Gladys the Magic Chicken:

A Kids' Indie Next List Pick
A Golden Kite Award Finalist
A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year
A Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee

"[A] magical (not to mention hilarious) tale . . . In the annals of fabulous fowl, surely Gladys reigns supreme . . . Everyone's gonna love it." —Booklist, starred review

"[A] knee-slapping, wing-flapping picture book romp . . . Rubin's humorous narration strikes the perfect tone for reading aloud . . . Cartoonishly zany." —Shelf Awareness

"Rubin and Rex fracture mythology left and right, with a performance-worthy, aside-heavy text and comically dramatic digital cartooning . . . Gladys’s feathered manifestation of that very human desire to “see magic in the world” is nothing to cluck at." —Publishers Weekly

"Written with a cheeky tone, this offbeat story puts a modern spin on exaggerated archetypal characters . . . Will appeal to elementary-age kids as well as adults . . . Flamboyant illustrations, unexpected adventures, and larger-than-life characters anchor this zany read-aloud." —Kirkus Reviews

"Sure to elicit more than a few laughs . . . The final lesson that there is magic in ordinary things (Gladys the chicken, in this case) is very sweet. Give this to the kid who has an obsession with Ancient Greece and Egypt to scratch the itch for an entertaining story set in a parody of those times. —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Adam Rubin is the author of a dozen critically acclaimed picture books, which have sold more than five million copies combined. They include Dragons Love Tacos, Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel, High Five, Gladys the Magic Chicken, Secret Pizza Party, Robo-Sauce, the Those Darn Squirrels trilogy, and El Chupacabras, which won the Texas Bluebonnet Award. Publishers Weekly called his #1 New York Times bestselling story collection The Ice Cream Machine a "madcap middle grade debut." Visit Adam online at adamrubinhasawebsite.com and follow him on Twitter @rubingo. View titles by Adam Rubin
Adam Rex grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, the middle of three children. He discovered a talent for drawing as a child and pursued this interest through college. He got a BFA from the University of Arizona, where he met his physicist wife, Marie. Adam and Marie live in Tucson, where Adam draws, paints, writes, spends too much time on the Internet, and listens to public radio. His first novel, The True Meaning of Smekday, was the 2011 Odyssey Award Winner. View titles by Adam Rex

About

From the mega-bestselling author of Dragons Love Tacos and the mega-bestselling illustrator of The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, comes this hilarious new picture book about an irresistible chicken who unexpectedly finds herself on an epic journey during Ancient Times.

Gladys the chicken must be magic. After all, for everyone who encounters her, a wish is granted. The Shepherd Boy wishes to be beautiful, the Brave Swordsman wishes to join the Royal Guard, the Purple Pooh-bah wishes for his only daughter to be happy, and the Learned Princess wishes to escape the palace. And one by one, each of these wishes comes true. But . . . is Gladys really magic? Or is everyone making their own fortune? Either way, it adds up to one heck of an adventure for a chicken named Gladys. Blending a classic storybook feel with a thoroughly modern sense of humor, this side-splitting read aloud is perfect for anyone who wishes to see magic in the world—even if they are only looking at a chicken.

Praise

Praise for Gladys the Magic Chicken:

A Kids' Indie Next List Pick
A Golden Kite Award Finalist
A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year
A Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee

"[A] magical (not to mention hilarious) tale . . . In the annals of fabulous fowl, surely Gladys reigns supreme . . . Everyone's gonna love it." —Booklist, starred review

"[A] knee-slapping, wing-flapping picture book romp . . . Rubin's humorous narration strikes the perfect tone for reading aloud . . . Cartoonishly zany." —Shelf Awareness

"Rubin and Rex fracture mythology left and right, with a performance-worthy, aside-heavy text and comically dramatic digital cartooning . . . Gladys’s feathered manifestation of that very human desire to “see magic in the world” is nothing to cluck at." —Publishers Weekly

"Written with a cheeky tone, this offbeat story puts a modern spin on exaggerated archetypal characters . . . Will appeal to elementary-age kids as well as adults . . . Flamboyant illustrations, unexpected adventures, and larger-than-life characters anchor this zany read-aloud." —Kirkus Reviews

"Sure to elicit more than a few laughs . . . The final lesson that there is magic in ordinary things (Gladys the chicken, in this case) is very sweet. Give this to the kid who has an obsession with Ancient Greece and Egypt to scratch the itch for an entertaining story set in a parody of those times. —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Author

Adam Rubin is the author of a dozen critically acclaimed picture books, which have sold more than five million copies combined. They include Dragons Love Tacos, Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel, High Five, Gladys the Magic Chicken, Secret Pizza Party, Robo-Sauce, the Those Darn Squirrels trilogy, and El Chupacabras, which won the Texas Bluebonnet Award. Publishers Weekly called his #1 New York Times bestselling story collection The Ice Cream Machine a "madcap middle grade debut." Visit Adam online at adamrubinhasawebsite.com and follow him on Twitter @rubingo. View titles by Adam Rubin
Adam Rex grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, the middle of three children. He discovered a talent for drawing as a child and pursued this interest through college. He got a BFA from the University of Arizona, where he met his physicist wife, Marie. Adam and Marie live in Tucson, where Adam draws, paints, writes, spends too much time on the Internet, and listens to public radio. His first novel, The True Meaning of Smekday, was the 2011 Odyssey Award Winner. View titles by Adam Rex