The Great Chicken Escape

This simple and spare picture book about four chickens fleeing their coop for the day in the Alaska wild features Nikki McClure’s signature cut-paper artwork and a visually pleasing die-cut cover.

The story emerged from the author’s own experience on Spruce Island, Alaska. In June of 1998 Nikki lived there with a small group of monastics, where she helped gather food and tend to chickens. Nikki says, “This is a true story, or as close to truth as I could ascertain from the chickens themselves. One day, the chickens snuck out the back door of the coop. Some of the more timid were caught, but a rogue group successfully eluded the nuns. The nuns decided that there was no real danger, only the possibility of a great chicken adventure. They let the chickens roam, enjoying the freedom of the forest. There was no worry, for the chickens would return home to roost; after all, they are chickens.”

Shortlisted for the Communication Arts Design Competition, 2018