Chanticleer and the Fox (book) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chanticleer and the Fox

Author	Barbara Cooney
Illustrator	Barbara Cooney
Country	United States
Genre	Children's picture book
Publisher	Crowell
Publication date	1958

Chanticleer and the Fox is a famous children's picture book. It was written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney. The story is based on a classic tale from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. This part of Chaucer's work is called "The Nun's Priest's Tale."

The book was published in 1958. It won the important Caldecott Medal in 1959. This award is given for the best illustrations in an American children's book. It was also named one of the "best books of the year" by Horn Book magazine.

How the Book Was Made

The Idea for the Story

Barbara Cooney got the idea for Chanticleer and the Fox from a simple sight. She saw some very colorful chickens one afternoon. Their bright feathers in the sunlight inspired her.

Later, she read "The Nun's Priest's Tale." She realized this old story was the perfect place to use her artistic ideas. She then spent time researching what life was like in medieval times. This helped her make the illustrations accurate.

Cooney's Art Style

For this book, Cooney used a special art method called scratchboard. She had used this technique for many years. It involves scratching lines into a dark surface to create images.

The publisher, Crowell, allowed her to use five colors for the book. Adding more colors cost extra money. Some pages only used two colors, like red and black. Other pages had more colors. Cooney carefully planned the layout so the colors looked good together.

Winning the Caldecott Medal

A Strong Message for Young Readers

Winning the Caldecott Medal was a big moment for Barbara Cooney. In her acceptance speech, she shared her beliefs about children's books. She felt that young readers needed "a more robust literary diet." This meant she believed children should read more challenging stories.

Cooney thought it was good for kids to read about big ideas. These included good and evil, love and hate, and life and death. She also believed children shouldn't only read about things they already understood. She famously said, "I will never talk down to, or draw down to, children." She wanted to challenge young minds.

How the Award Changed Her Career

The Caldecott Medal was a turning point for Cooney. Her editor offered her a new project. It was a full-color book set in France. Cooney even traveled to France to do research for it.

After this success, she also changed her art style. She moved away from using scratchboard. Instead, she began to paint her illustrations.

What Critics Said

Many people praised Chanticleer and the Fox. Norma R. Fryatt wrote about Caldecott-winning books from 1956 to 1965. She said the book used the story's drama well. She also noted that Cooney turned the limits of color printing into advantages. Fryatt described the retelling as "clear, fresh and dedicated."