Product Description

Now in paperback! Daniel Pinkwater’s long-awaited follow-up to his cult favorite The Hoboken Chicken Emergency, featuring Arthur Bobowitz and his 266-pound chicken, Henrietta.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1341743 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-08
• Format: Audiobook
• Original language: English
• Binding: Audio CD

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8–When his parents move to Hoboken, NJ, and his bike is stolen the first hour he's there, clever and resourceful middle-grader Ivan Itch goes looking for the thief, and in the process meets quirky adults and solves some mysteries. He becomes friends with neighborhood kids Bruno Ugg and Loretta Fischetti, and they attend the town's Bat Hat Festival, where a tall, phantomlike figure appears. He pedals away on Ivan's "light blue bike with pink hearts and flowers painted on the frame." Then the children's Classics Comics books are missing. Surprises and plot twists pepper the story as the youngsters set out to discover just what is going on. The adults evade their logical questions about a mysterious, oversized chicken and the young detectives seek help from the librarian, Starr Lackawanna, "a woman with wild hair, wearing what looked like a gym suit with rainbow-striped leg warmers and cape." With her assistance, the children, especially Ivan, piece together the evidence that the phantom is hiding the stolen goods in an old abandoned cave. The 266-pound hen Henrietta who starred in The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (Aladdin, 1977) enters the scene and sets the stage for many laughs. Ivan is a well-developed character, and readers are likely to sympathize with him. Jill Pinkwater's black-and-white, block-print illustrations are a perfect match for this zany story that's sure to elicit lots of grins.–James K. Irwin, Nichols Library, Naperville, IL
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From AudioFile
If you're in the mood to be charmed, delighted, and thoroughly engaged--in short, if you want to be happy--then race out and get the newest Daniel Pinkwater children's book, which is intended for children aged 6 to 106. In his inimitable sort-of-New Jersey accent, Pinkwater shares the story of Nick, a boy who has moved with his inattentive family to Hoboken. There his bike is stolen and he listens to pirate radio, meets cool friends who love Classic Comics as much as he does, and uncovers the secret of Arthur Bobowicz and his 266-pound chicken. What more does one want in a plot? It's clever; it's funny; it's oddly moving. Pinkwater reads with abandoned perfection, and, like the best comedians, he always waits for the laugh. A.C.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
Gr. 4-6. Strange things are happening in Hoboken. For starters, a phantom has stolen newcomer Ivan ("call me Nick") Itch's bicycle. And then there are all those rumors about a giant chicken on a rampage. What's going on? Well, it's hard to say, since there's a local tradition that nobody ever gives information in response to a direct question. Ivan/Nick is convinced that Arthur Bobowicz has the answers--if he could ever locate him, that is. Meanwhile, the phantom strikes again. Ivan finds allies in his new friends Bruno Ugg, Loretta Fischetti, and local librarian Starr Lackawanna, who is "crazy as a bat." Of course, she's in good company, since everything in this sequel-of-sorts to The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (1999) is pretty nutty. But then Daniel Pinkwater is the czar of zany, so what else would you expect? Perhaps, a few more unforced laughs. Not the master's best work, but a pleasant enough diversion for fans. Michael Cart
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved