Two-Headed Chicken

July 1, 2022
In this romp through the multiverse, Angleberger asks readers to imagine a universe where they are a two-headed chicken. It sounds like the start of a silly joke. One head--the reader's--is generally very stupid; the other--belonging to the reader's sister--is generally very smart. The alleged plot hops universes with every chapter as the eponymous plucky cluck attempts to escape an "enraged moose named KERNEL ANTLERS" whose mission in life is to fry and eat the chicken. Various bizarre creatures and historical figures offer obfuscating commentary on the chicken's shenanigans or guidance, and finally, a hypothetical reader, fed up with their aimless escapades and thwarted jokes, threatens to abandon the book and erase the chicken from existence in every multiverse if they don't buck up and face the moose. Will our intrepid hero prevail? Readers may never know--at least, not in their universe. Scattered self-deprecation may not have been unwarranted, as there's very little within the book to capture readers' attention (aside from reading on to learn whether a plot will ever coalesce). Myriad potentially exciting worlds and plotlines are touched on but never explored, and the characters are too flat to allow readers to become invested in their plights. The bold, expressive art, almost reminiscent of margin doodles, does the lion's share of the storytelling. A few interactive pages offer amusing diversions but feel rather out of place. Funny but ultimately ineffective as either a joke book or a story. (author's note) (Graphic novel. 7-10)

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Starred review from July 1, 2022
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* In a multiverse, there are infinite yous. In this particular story, you are one head of a two-headed chicken. Your sister is the other head, and she's so smart she invented an Astrocap that charges in 42 seconds to let you jump universes, which is crucial, because in every universe you are being chased by an enraged green moose named Kernel Antlers who wants to fry and eat you. As you pop through universes at lightning speed, narrowly escaping death after death with a dimension-traveling "Bzooop!" you run into a hybrid duck-owl fellow-multiverse-traveler, Duckter Whooo, who explains that you must confront and defeat Kernel Antlers to end it all. And, oh yeah, there's also a mustachioed fish who interrupts the story to talk about feelings, storytime from Granny Goosefoot (whose face is literally the foot of a goose), multiple-choice quizzes, a Where's Waldo? page, a choose-your-own-path option, and in one universe, you are painting a watercolor of a screenshot of a reaction video you made about a driving video game that you played (phew!). This is as deliciously original and absurdly wacky as any Angleberger creation. The digital artwork combines off-kilter, hilarious, and wonderfully disruptive graphic novel animation with old-fashioned multimedia collage and incorporates warped space photos from the NASA archives. It is knee-slappingly funny and utterly original at every level, from its meta conceptualization to its second-person narration style, and it's as quick and easy to devour as fried chicken. Don't let it bzooop away!

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July 25, 2022
Rendered in bold hues and a loopy, cockeyed line, this graphic novel by Angleberger (the Inspector Flytrap series) capitalizes on two seemingly unstoppable forces: the multiverse story craze, and kids’ love of being barraged by goofy jokes. Readers are asked to imagine they’re one head of a cockeyed, two-headed chicken; the other head is the reader’s sister, who’s “a lot smarter than you” and has invented the duo’s often unreliable mode of transportation, the universe-hopping Astrocap. Together, they evade the clutches of Kernel Antlers, a furious green moose whose catchphrase is “I am gonna fry you!” The chase makes stops in universes that spoof Charles Dickens and Harry Potter, one in which “lava is actually lukewarm pizza sauce,” and another in which everyone uses “ginormous” old cell phones. (Yet another confronts the protagonists with the classic time-travel dilemma of whether to clobber the adorable baby moose version of their nemesis.) Quizzes, puzzles, and even an affidavit give readers a chance to catch their breath while taking in punch-line pile-ups and fourth-wall smackdowns, which together offer all the pleasures of gulping from a comic firehose. Ages 7–10. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary.

September 1, 2022

Gr 3-6-In this zany graphic novel, a two-headed chicken learns the basics of multiverse travel. One of our hero's heads is a stand-in for "you," the reader. The other is a science whiz who creates an Astrocap, a blue-and-red-antennaed beanie that allows its wearer to hop from world to world. Two-Headed Chicken launches across time and space to avoid being devoured by Kernel Antlers, a wily, chicken-hungry moose. However, obstacles and surprises await on every stop of this mission. Two-Headed Chicken travels through many universes-a pencil-drawn one, one where chickens drive cars, one in which our hero is the Mona Lisa, and so on. At each destination, Antlers is still in hungry pursuit. Will Two-Headed Chicken ever find a place to rest? In addition to the main story, this book has mazes, puzzles, activities, and various philosophical asides from a fish with a mustache. There is something fun for every reader! Ellis's colors are distinct and add much to the excitement. Angleberger writes the first chapter as a humorous primer on the concepts of the multiverse. The entire plot rests on what would be an incomprehensible stew of ideas in another creator's hands; however, Angleberger explains these ideas in a manner accessible to younger readers. The drawings and page layouts are frenetic, capturing all the excitement of this hilarious journey. VERDICT Readers who enjoy Aaron Blabey's "Bad Guys" series and Dav Pilkey's various universes will love this first book in what is sure to be a beloved series.-Jennie Law

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