The Churkendoose facts for kids
The Churkendoose: No, no wait. Before you caused me tears, now you're giving me three cheers.
'Cause I chased the fox and set you free.
Well, I don't want the tears and I don't want the cheers.
Can't you like me just because I'm me?
The Churkendoose: Part Chicken, Turkey, Duck and Goose is a children's book from 1946. It was written by Ben Ross Berenberg and illustrated by Dellwyn Cunningham. The book was published by Grosset & Dunlap as part of their Wonder Books series. It was also known by another title: What am I? I'm a Churkendoose!. The story teaches important lessons about accepting everyone, no matter how different they seem. Ben Ross Berenberg wrote this special story for his own daughter.
Contents
Discovering The Churkendoose Story
The book tells the tale of a very unusual creature called the Churkendoose. This creature is a mix of a chicken, a turkey, a duck, and a goose!
What Happens in the Book?
The Churkendoose hatches on a farm, looking quite different from the other animals. Even though it is a happy and playful creature, the other farm animals do not understand it. Because it is so different, they chase it away from the farm.
Later, a clever fox tries to cause trouble for the farm animals. The Churkendoose bravely steps in and saves them from the fox. After this heroic act, the other animals finally welcome the Churkendoose back. They learn to appreciate it for who it is.
The Churkendoose as an Opera
The popular book was also turned into a children's opera. An opera is a play where the story is told mostly through singing.
Who Created the Opera?
Ben Ross Berenberg, the author of the book, wrote the words for the opera. These words are called the libretto. The music for the opera was created by a composer named Alec Wilder.
The Famous Recording
In 1947, a recording of The Churkendoose opera was released. It was put out by Decca Records. The songs were sung by the famous entertainer Ray Bolger. The music was led by Mitch Miller, who was a well-known conductor.
The notes that came with the album explained that the Churkendoose is a "mixture" of different birds. They also said that many people are mixtures too. This means people come from different backgrounds and cultures. The opera and its message help us understand that being a mix of different things is a good thing.
National Recognition
In 2009, the recording of The Churkendoose was added to the United States National Recording Registry. This is a special list kept by the Library of Congress. It includes recordings that are important to American history and culture. Being on this list shows how much the story and its message mean to people.
