- Picture Books
- Ages 3–7
- Comedy
Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur!)
Lena looks like a chicken, but she knows in her bones she's a dinosaur, and when a weasel threatens the coop, it's up to her to unleash her inner dino. A funny, empowering picture book about being fiercely, unapologetically yourself.
- Best for3–7
- FormatPicture
- Length56 pp
- Read aloud~11 min
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The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Comedic
- Conversational
Tone
- Funny
- Adventurous
- Warm
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Lena lives in a chicken coop and looks a lot like a chicken, but deep down she is absolutely certain she is a DINOSAUR. She can feel it in her bones. The trouble is, her timid, scaredy-hen family doesn't understand her ferociousness or her big ideas, and they don't much like being reminded that chickens are, in fact, the closest living relatives of dinosaurs. So when a dastardly weasel slinks in and threatens the coop, the other chickens do what chickens do, and panic. It falls to Lena to summon her inner dinosaur as never before, to save her family and show the whole flock how to stand up for themselves. Linda Bailey's rousing, comic story and K-Fai Steele's expressive artwork make a joyful, empowering read-aloud about self-belief, being different, and finding the courage to be exactly who you know you are, with a fun thread of dinosaur fact running through it.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
A lively read-aloud for 3-7s, with a light text that early readers of 5-8 can manage. There is mild weasel peril, so it suits children who enjoy a bit of jeopardy alongside the laughs.
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- Best fit · 3–7
- Read aloud · 3–7
- Independent · 5–8
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reading together
- Gift-buying
- Reluctant readers
Nothing in the book is likely to concern most parents. Safe to recommend without preview.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Being yourself
- Dinosaur lovers
- Read aloud
- Funny
Avoid if
- Sensitive to peril
Particularly good for children who are…
- Low self esteem
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Lena's roaring self-belief is irresistible, and the idea that ordinary chickens are secretly dinosaurs is thrilling. Children cheer as she faces down the weasel and shows the fraidy-hens how to be brave, unleashing her inner dino at last.
- Proving yourself
- Being understood finally
- The underdog winning
Why parents love it
A funny, big-hearted read-aloud about self-belief and standing up for yourself, with a genuine nugget of science, that chickens really are dinosaurs' closest living relatives. K-Fai Steele's lively artwork gives Lena huge personality.
- Shared humour
- Educational for adult too
About the creators
About the creators.
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