The Hoboken Chicken Emergency

Arthur Bobowicz’s mum instructs him to pick up their turkey from the butcher for thanksgiving. When the butcher loses Mrs. Bobowicz’s order and has no turkeys to spare, Arthur goes around town to find a turkey and when he realises there’s no available turkeys, tries to find any available bird for the family’s thanksgiving meal. When he sees a sign advertising chickens for sale, Arthur realises he’s in luck. The vendor, a mad scientist, convinces him to buy a giant 265 pound chicken who he names Henrietta. Walking home, Arthur develops a fondness for the bird and convinces his parents to let him keep Henrietta as a pet. All seemed to go well, except when Henrietta misbehaves, Arthur’s mum urges him to take Henrietta where she belongs. The scientist refuses to have Henrietta back, leading to Henrietta escaping and wreaking havoc through the streets of Hoboken. Little do people realise she’s a harmless but scared chicken. The story is hilarious and draws out themes around friendships, unlikely ones at that, irrational fears leading to irrational actions and the importance of kindness as an antidote to fear-all while having you in stitches through the story.