Charlie Changes Into a Chicken
Sam Copeland, illustrated by Sarah Horne

Narrated By: Rhashan Stone

Duration: 3 hours and 15 minutes

What to expect

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Charlie Changes Into a Chicken by Sam Copeland, read by Rhashan Stone.

Charlie McGuffin tries to be an optimist, but in reality he's a bit of a worrier.

Some of the things Charlie is worried about:

· His brother (who is in hospital)

· Their very panicked parents

· Unwanted attention from the school bully

· The fact that he's started turning into animals!

Even though every kid wants a superhero power, Charlie isn't keen on turning into a pigeon in the middle of the school play.

But what happens if he does? Will he get sent away for Science to deal with? Will his parents crack under the extra stress?

With the help of his three best friends, Charlie needs to find a way of dealing with his crazy new power - and fast!

Praise for Charlie Changes into a Chicken:

'Hysterically funny!' Jeremy Strong, author of My Brother's Famous Bottom

'Full of heart and humour, wit and wisdom, and rivers of rhino poo' Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs

'Wonderfully heart-warming and absolutely hilarious' Catherine Doyle, author of The Storm Keeper's Island

Genre

Children's / Teenage fiction: School stories, Children's / Teenage fiction: Humorous stories

Listen to a sample

"This is one of the best children's tales we've come across in years... hilariously funny but with proper heart.. providing laughter on every page, it's a sure-fire debut hit."

"Laugh-out-loud funny, with an important underlying message on how to cope with anxiety."

"This is a glorious debut from an exciting new voice in children's comedy fiction. Sam Copeland WILL turn into a megastar on the strength of this first outing. Cleverly daft storytelling at its very, very best."

I laughed out loud at the part about yin and yang and win and wang. Oh, and the rhino poo - giant poo will never not be funny.

"One of the most hyped children's debut of the decade.. Here is the modern masterpiece: a book that is full of laughs, while also exploring childhood anxiety.. This is a touching and engaging story. This savvy, comic tale ticks every box."

"Gloriously silly, gleefully naughty, totally entertaining. So good, in fact, that I HAD to finish it once my son was asleep!"

"A heart-warming story that has led to comparisons with such celebrated authors as David Walliams and David Solomons. But this is no ordinary children's story. ... (it) doesn't just entertain his readers but can actually help them to deal with their anxieties."

Wonderfully heart-warming and absolutely hilarious

For readers of about seven-plus, Sam Copeland's debut Charlie Changes Into a Chicken (Puffin) is a stand-out star, offering belly-busting hilarity and a loving, light touch take on childhood anxiety . . . A supportive cast of friends (fiendishly clever Flora in particular), subtly planted strategies for coping with worry, and some joyfully silly metanarrative tricks (including a publisher's letter of apology) place Charlie head and shoulders above the competition; Sarah Horne's wild-haired, twitch-eyed illustrations add another layer to the fun.

This really is one of the funniest, freshest debuts I've read in a long time. Delightfully silly and utterly heartfelt.. Comedy is hard to do right, but Copeland's enviable timing and knack for properly laugh-out-loud jokes set this apart. Charlie's experiences in animal form are comedy gold... it is just genius. A real delight and deserves to be huge.

A brilliant debut . . . laugh-out-loud funny

Charlie Changes Into a Chicken is a gloriously fun, madcap adventure with a celebration of friendship at its heart.

This is a book that isn't what you expect, cleverly portraying ways of dealing with stress and anxiety..This is a brilliant and positive debut from Sam Copeland

"An adventure of fantastical proportions.. a comic novel which fans of Kid Normal will flock to"

"This really is one of the funniest, freshest debuts I've read in a long time. Delightfully silly and utterly heartfelt.. Comedy is hard to do right, but Copeland's enviable timing and knack for properly laugh-out-loud jokes set this apart. Charlie's experiences in animal form are comedy gold... it is just genius. A real delight and deserves to be huge."

"In the words of Jean-Claude the pigeon... I am in love with this most delicious, beautiful and delectable book and I wish to fly away with it!"

Very funny indeed.

An essential talent, full of the best of Roald Dahl and David Walliams

Cleverly daft storytelling at its very, very best

Laugh out loud funny, with an important underlying message on how to cope with anxiety

"The best kind of silly."

"A stand-out star, offering belly-busting hilarity.. Head and shoulders above the competition."

Gloriously silly, gleefully naughty and totally entertaining

'Very funny indeed.'

One of the most hyped children's debut of the decade.. Here is the modern masterpiece: a book that is full of laughs, while also exploring childhood anxiety.. This is a touching and engaging story. This savvy, comic tale ticks every box.

Fantastically ridiculous and silly in equal measures . . . will have readers snorting with giggles

"A brilliant debut... a book that is not only laugh-out-loud funny but offers important advice about coping with anxiety."

"Wonderfully heart-warming and absolutely hilarious."

"Sam Copeland's debut is brilliant, laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely moving. However, Charlie Changes into a Chicken is not just a joyous read, through its relentlessly hilarious narrative it ingeniously communicates an important message for children who struggle with anxiety or are confronted by difficulties in their life. A great debut is one that you feel must have always existed, and this is one of those books. Every school library needs to have multiple copies and may I recommend it to every single parent out there."

"Hysterically funny!"

An adventure of fantastical proportions.. a comic novel which fans of Kid Normal will flock to

The best kind of silly

"An essential talent, full of the best of Roald Dahl"

A clever and hilarious story with a hero you'll love... I'm already looking forward to the next one

"A great example of a kids' book with lots of humour."

"This is a book that isn't what you expect, cleverly portraying ways of dealing with stress and anxiety..This is a brilliant and positive debut from Sam Copeland"

"A side-splitting debut... fantastically ridiculous... will have readers snorting with giggles."

"Fresh and funny - this reads like a modern-day Dahl."

Hysterically funny!

Brilliant, laugh-out-loud funny and genuinely moving

Fresh and funny - this reads like a modern-day Dahl

So good you'll CLUCK with laughter!

"Charlie Changes Into a Chicken is a gloriously fun, madcap adventure with a celebration of friendship at its heart."

In the words of Jean-Claude the pigeon, I am in love with this most delicious, beautiful and delectable book and I wish to fly away with it!

So good you'll CLUCK with laughter

Full of heart and humour, wit and wisdom, and rivers of rhino poo

"A clever and hilarious story with a hero you'll love... I'm already looking forward to the next one"