Chicken Chicken: 01/19/25

Chicken Chicken by R.L. Stine (1997) is the 53rd Goosebumps book. My children are adults now and one of them remembered this chicken themed horror volume. Since I make chicken themed art they thought it would be fun for me to read.

Crystal and Cole and their parents have moved to Goshen Falls, a small town in the middle of nowhere. Their parents work from home and they keep chickens.

Crystal hates caring for them but does it because she's the older and more responsible kid. But she's getting sick of her brother's antics and the stuff he gets away with.

Then there's Vanessa, the local old lady who dresses like a Goth and has the reputation for being a witch. Given that this is an R.L. Stine book, she is a witch but Crystal doesn't know that yet.

After one two many pranks on Vanessa led by Cole, Crystal and he find themselves cursed. The curse is a simple one — not even as complex as "pyrzqxgl." Here it's a phrase said with intent: "chicken chicken."

The rest of the book is spent with the unfolding consequences of the curse. The cover art pretty much tells you how it goes. The curse gives both siblings time to reflect on what they've done wrong.

As is the hallmark with Goosebumps books, there's very rarely a happy ending. Or rather, the characters are given what they think are happy endings. Except the reader is left with a hook, a promise of more bad things to come.

Reading this book as an artist who has spent the last two years developing a surreal style of art with chicken headed figures, a curse that turns a person into a person sized chicken is something. It gives me time to consider the unspoken horror of my art.

Book 54 is Don't Go to Sleep! (1997). There are 62 books in this series.

Four stars

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