Parents' Guide to

The Little Red Hen

By Patricia Tauzer, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 4+

Another Pinkney classic worth clucking about.

Book Jerry Pinkney Folklore 2006
The Little Red Hen Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

See all
age 16+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Longbeard
Longbeard Adult
November 8, 2019
age 14+

Bad

Horrible

This title has:

Great role models
Steve Heinlein
Steve Heinlein Adult
June 23, 2018
age 18+

very discriminatory restaurant

will avoid
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

After the little red hen finds some wheat seeds, she tries to get the other farm animals to help her plant the seeds, harvest the wheat, and bake the bread. None cooperate, and she teaches them a lesson in the end.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2):
Kids say (1):

For generations, kids have enjoyed participating in this fable, with its fun repetition, and the same should be true in this LITTLE RED HEN by Jerry Pinkney. Illustrations are classical Pinkney, and his realistic, sensitive watercolors are large on the page. The round pig is mud-streaked sloth itself, the goat is a wiry whiner, and the rat lurks in beady-eyed mischief. As a fun touch, Pinkney adds a self-portrait as the kind-hearted miller.


All of the animals are colorful, delicately drawn, and so expressive. Even their eyes change from the time they gather around the hen, each pleading his case, to the moment they turn away, shirking any responsibility. With art like this to his name, it's no surprise that Jerry Pinkney has won five Caldecott Medals, five Coretta Scott King Awards, and three New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Awards, among many other honors.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the phrase "not I," or rather shout it at the appropriate times in this fun read-aloud story. Why do you think the other animals say this to the Little Red Hen instead of helping out? Do you think the Little Red Hen should have shared in the end, even though no one helped her? You may enjoy trying different endings and seeing which one fits you best. This might lead to discussion of cooperation and whether working together is helpful. When do you like help? What do you do when no one will give you a hand? When do you think you should help?

Book Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate