Mama is not happy about the idea of adopting some chickens. They poo everywhere, and she doesn’t even like eggs.

But her family convince her, and soon she realises that she was wrong about this friendly flock.

Before long, they follow her wherever she goes and she loves them back with patience and care.

When she begins to lose her memory she often gets confused and frustrated, but her constant are the chickens and their connection to home and happiness. Even through her early-onset dementia, her love for her chickens (including her young children), never wanes.

With personal knowledge of the rarer and not-talked-about early on-set type of dementia, Michelle Worthington wrote this book for families experiencing this illness.

I loved the way Worthington talks about the relationship between Mama and her chickens, but it is very clear in Nicky Johnston’s illustrations that her children are her ‘chickens’ too.

It’s a story full of love, compassion, and understanding.

Author – Michelle Worthington

Illustrator – Nicky Johnston

Picture Book

Download Teacher’s Notes here

(2023, EK Books, Exisle Publishing, Early-Onset Dementia, Family, Mental Health, Caring for Animals, Birds, Chickens, Frustration, Memory, Memories, Love, Pets, Illness)