My Fine Feathered Friend

This extremely short book really qualifies as more essay than "book," and as much as I enjoyed it, I wondered who would shell out hard-earned cash for its slim contents.Then I found myself handing it around to people as I would share a cartoon or funny email. "Zip through it over lunch," I said, "Take it instead of a magazine while you're waiting for your oil change or dentist appointment."And so I learned what this book is best for: for a few bucks, you can pass a smile around to your friends. The eye-catching cover is hard for anyone to resist, and the illustrations are great. If you know someone who's been adopted by a stray animal, this is perfect for them. But if not, pass it on anyway. It's a light, funny read that will make anyone smile.In Grime's hands this unusual bird manages a truly universal appeal. I loved the pleasure it seemed to take in sneaking up behind a skittish cat and sending the cat vertically airborne with a sudden cackle. Then there's the pet store employee who tries to explain that they don't carry chicken feed, because a chicken is not a "particular animal." Grimes has an eye and ear for gem moments like these.

Who knew chickens could be so interesting and funny? When New York Times restaurant critic William Grimes finds a chicken in his New York City backyard, he learns how much surprising personality a chicken can possess. In this hilarious true story, Grimes chronicles how the chicken grew in his esteem from mere baffling presence to a source of constant entertainment. The chicken (simply referred to as The Chicken) co-exists with a cadre of Mafioso-like neighborhood cats, mercilessly making a sport of teasing the most anxious of the felines. The chicken embarks on a surprising and sometimes disquieting diet (chowing down on everything but the lawn furniture) and even survives assault by police helicopter. In between anecdotes, Grimes recounts fun fowl facts and a brief history of chicken breeding. Does this part sound boring? I would have thought so, too. In Grimes' deft hands, the tale is fascinating. (You'll learn why chicken breeding was actually a hot trend amongst the Glitterati as recently as 1944 and why some poor chickens were bred to have tail feathers over 15 feet long.) Grimes also has a delicious sense of humor that delivers chuckles and cackles with every page. Delightful illustrations, too. Engrossing us with a mere 85 pages, Grimes definitely subscribes to the "leave 'em wanting more" school. The book is a terrific, quick read for all -- from small-fry to the hard-boiled -- and would be a wonderful gift for anyone in need of good cheer.

I love this story about Chicken and the funny cats living together in the backyard of a big city. I laughed a lot and really enjoyed learning about chickens and eggs. Mr. Grimes is a nice man who loves animals, and is a great storyteller.

In working class neighborhood Astoria, Queens, a chicken comes out of nowhere to reside in the backyard of the home of New York Times food critic William Grimes and his wife. Somehow the fowl makes a nest amidst the other creatures of the asphalt jungle mainly cats. Even more surprising to Grimes is how much he wants to keep the chicken safe. Soon chicken becomes the Chicken. However, ultimately for no known reason the Chicken vanishes never to return leaving behind two sad humans who still miss their bird. MY FINE FEATHERED FRIEND is a wonderfully humorous story of how an animal can capture the heart of a human. Mr. Grimes looks into the history of the chicken while relating anecdotal episodes about his particular Chicken. The true tale is amusing and pet lovers will fully understand the author's emotions while laughing at the antics of the Chicken. Mr. Grimes has not laid an egg with the engaging adventures of Chicken in the city that feels more like an amusing parable or fable.Harriet Klausner

Either way, you can't go wrong with this book. It's both and amusing and informative short read. I read sections to my wife each evening in bed and we chuckled our way to the books conclusion. We're thinking of building a chicken coop soon, and the parts of this book where the author digresses from the main story line are very informative about chickens. For example, when chickens first were thought of as a food product.I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a light read...