This book was lightheartedly fun! Lena was an interesting character. You knew that she identified as a dinosaur, but it was neat to see how the other chickens came to see her that way as well. The note at the end about the history of the relationship between dinosaurs and chickens was a great add. Linking the non-fiction texts is so helpful to teachers.

Funny story, I would read that story to my kindergartners class. I'm sure they would like it and laugh a lot.
Love the ending where we learn that chickens are in fact dinosaurs!

"Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur!)" authored by Linda Bailey and illustrated by K-Fai Steele, is an engaging and courageous picture book. Published by Tundra Books, it follows Lena, a chicken who thinks she is a dinosaur, as she deals with her timid farmyard family and a threat to their coop.
Lena, a chicken who believes herself to be a dinosaur, is misunderstood by her family but is valued by Madeline, the farmhand's daughter. When a weasel attacks, Lena shows her bravery and uniqueness. The story emphasizes self-acceptance and explores the connection between chickens and dinosaurs, though its rushed ending reduces emotional impact.
The story's pacing is rushed, and the weasel subplot resolves too quickly. The scientific material is understandable but may require adult explanation for younger readers. The vibrant illustrations can sometimes appear cluttered, distracting from the story's flow. This book is suitable for children aged 3-7, especially those interested in dinosaurs and educators looking for STEM-oriented picture books.
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

This is a really cute book about standing up for yourself and finding your "inner dinosaur." Lena knows who she is and what she stands for and uses this to protect her coop from danger. I liked the scientific tie-in of birds being closely linked to dinosaurs--it was an informative touch! Adorable book with a good message.

A hilarious read about a chicken named Lena who thinks she's a dinosaur and isn't afraid to show it. My children and I especially enjoyed the art style and how Lena was portrayed as a feisty, no nonsense chicken-dinosaur. The writing is catchy and the plotline made my kids laugh the entire read! Great for primary to middle school children. Thanks again for sending this to me- I had a blast reading it with my kids.

Funny book, will be good for a storytime! It's nice to have silly books to rec for bday parties and teachers in the new year.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur) is an absolute delight from start to finish. Lena is no ordinary chick—she’s confident, determined, and certain she’s a dinosaur. With playful, rhythmic text by Linda Bailey and vibrant, expressive illustrations by K-Fai Steele, this picture book bursts with personality and charm.

Beyond the humor and lively storytelling, it also teaches a valuable lesson about identity, confidence, and staying true to who you are—even when others don’t quite understand. The engaging back matter connects Lena’s belief to real science, explaining the evolutionary link between chickens and dinosaurs and offering sources for curious young minds to dig deeper.

Fun, empowering, and educational—this book is a winner for storytime, classroom shelves, and young dino lovers everywhere.

Many thanks to Tundra Book Group | Tundra Books for the advance copy. Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur) is set to be released on October 28, 2025.

Young readers will come back to Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur!) again and again for the humour, the inspiration, and K-Fai Steele's whimsical illustrations. Kids will relate to Lena's grand aspirations and they'll delight when in the end she not only saves the day in a classically-Linda-Bailey-hilarious-way, but they'll be gob-smacked with glee when it turns out that Lena really is a dinosaur. This seemingly simple story encourages kids to choose their own path and not be held back by others' expectations. An instant classic. #Tundra #Netgalley

What a hysterically funny story! I laughed out loud more than once—and I bet the illustrator did too, because K-Fai Steele’s artwork is absolutely brilliant. It’s chaotic in the best way possible, bursting with humor and personality.
Holy hen house, what a ride! Lena may look like a chicken, but don’t be fooled—this is a full-on dinosaur adventure. Perfect for reading aloud, and for anyone who needs a laugh today.

Lena the Chicken (but Really a Dinosaur!) is an adorable picture book that uses hand-sketched watercolors to illustrate Lena's journey into finding out her true roots as a dino descendant.

Linda Bailey does a great job of giving Lena personality and building some tension between Lena and her fellow chickens before approaching the climax of the coop taking on a weasel.

I felt that the situation with the weasel resolves itself fairly quickly, even for a picture book, and would have loved for the weasel to have a few thought bubbles thrown in to make it seem even weaslier.

My favorite part of the book, however, was how Bailey brought it back to evolution. The info page at the back was a must and I love how she provided recommended non-fiction reads for kids interested in learning more about dinosaurs.

Lena, a brave and bold hen who believes she is a dinosaur, protects the other chickens and their eggs. Her human family (who have been the recipients of numerous pecks) doesn’t understand her. Only their daughter, Madeline, admires and loves her. A weasel attacks while the family is away. Gnawing a hole in the side of the coop, he squeezes his whiskery snout through to further terrorize the chickens. Lena ignores her quivering sisters and springs into action. She explodes with a primeval screech that brings down the side of the coop on the weasel’s nose! Extricating himself, the weasel breaks off his beautiful whiskers and slinks off to hide in his den, embarrassed to show himself.

Madeline researches chickens for her Science Fair project and discovers that chickens really are the direct descendants of dinosaurs. Of course, Lena attends the Fair, too, making Madeline’s booth a hit with everyone!

This colorful book includes multiple speech bubbles with comments from Madeline’s family, the weasel, and the chickens. The intrepid Lena is brave, beautiful, and lovable! Pair it with a fat hen puppet for extra Storytime fun. A page tracing chickens’ lineage is included at the back along with books for further reading.

This book teaches a very valuable lesson about bravery, while also educating kiddos about evolution and the relationship between dinosaurs and living creatures!

This is a cute story with great illustrations! A fun way to look at what makes us similar and different.

Lena looks like a chicken, eats like a chicken, and is surrounded by other chickens. She is a chicken. But deep down, she knows she’s more than that. Lena is a dinosaur. She’s not scared of things like the rest of her family. She’s not afraid to stand up for the whole coop against all threats, including the people on the farm who keep coming in to take their eggs. And she’s working on her roar!
Everyone else tells Lena she’s not as special as she thinks she is. Definitely not a dinosaur. But she knows. And she’s not backing down. ... And when the weasel tries to attack the henhouse, Lena‘s confidence gives her the courage to stand up in a big way, and scare the weasel off for good!
This book is a fun way to introduce kids to the biological science that tells us chickens (and all birds) are closely related to dinosaurs. They are the living, breathing descendants of ancient creatures.
It’s also a great story for children who need a reminder that they are special, even if the people around them, don’t want to accept what they feel about themselves. Just like Lena refused to "think small" in spite of the other chickens' opinions, children can be encouraged to be true to themselves, no matter what certain groups might say about them.
The back matter gives context about the science of chickens being related to dinosaurs, and it’s a good way to continue the exploration of this idea that Lena really is a dinosaur. I wish it also had a bit about being true to yourself in spite of opposition from those around you. Especially in current times when people in many situations don’t want to accept that kids know themselves. But I suppose, in the current political climate, that kind of affirmation might tag this book for banning in certain markets, so I see why they didn’t include it.

Lena looks like a chicken, sounds like a chicken, but deep down in her very soul, she knows that she is in fact a dinosaur. Welcome to the farm where Lena lives with the rest of her family flock - the bunch of scaredy chickens. They have a hard time understanding Lena’s boldness. Even the farmer and his wife are perplexed by Lena’s attitude, but their little girl Madeleine thinks Lena is great - she loves her personality. Then one day, a weasel attempts to infiltrate the coop. While her family freaks out, Lena reaches deep down to her dinosaur self and traps the weasel, saving her family! In the end, Madeleine finds a book that proves that chickens are the closest living relatives in the whole world to a dinosaur and presents her findings at her school science fair. The end also provides more information about the evolution of dinosaurs to chickens and lists a couple of non-fiction books for further reading.


THOUGHTS:
This is a hilarious book with engaging and colorful illustrations. I love how it combines a fun story with facts - chickens really are dinosaurs! This would be a fun and engaging supplemental text to science lessons about dinosaurs or chickens.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Lena believe she is a dinosaur and from the fact at the end, she is related to one. She ends up saving the other chickens from a weasel.

This book made me laugh. I enjoyed reading it and as a chicken owner I loved it even more! I loved the message about being yourself, no matter what.

Such a delightful read. Couldn’t stop smiling. The illustrations are beautiful and well I have to agree. Lena is a dinosaur

I couldn't stop smiling while I was reading this adorable picture book. Lena really really believes she's a dinosaur, and it makes her different from the other chickens she lives with. She even guards the eggs from the humans! And when danger comes, Lena is the one with the courage to stand up for them, and seeing that gives the other chickens courage.
The ending gives a simple scientific explanation of how chickens really are dinosaurs.

This CUTE children's book is about Lena, a special chicken who thinks she's a dinosaur! It made me giggle watching her try to be a dinosaur with the other normal chickens. Haha!! This is a kind story about being who you are no matter what. It's okay to be different even if others don't understand.

ILLUSTRATIONS:
The pictures in this book are beautiful and really catch your eye! The illustrator has created a world that is both fun and welcoming. It's made just right to keep young readers aged 3 to 7 interested. You'll find yourself lingering over the details. And I have NO DOUBT children will be drawn into the pages again and again.

MY READING EXPERIENCE:
What makes this book really neat is that it quietly teaches you something interesting about nature. The story sneakily tells you that chickens and dinosaurs are related...which is interesting and might make you want to learn more! This is a great way to learn something about science while having fun. You'll read about being brave, being your own person, and how you can find surprising connections with others.

Bonus part (not sure if this is considered as a spoiler, lol):
The back of this book is so cool! It shows a chicken named Lena, but her shadow looks like a dinosaur. That is such a fun and clever drawing, right? It will really get kids thinking and using their imaginations while they read the story.

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Disclaimer: Thanks to the author who wrote this book and Netgalley for letting me read it. I received a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur!) is a hilarious take on being yourself and protecting those you care about. I laughed out loud while reading it to my daughter. I would purchase this book for my first grade classroom, as I think my students would enjoy it. As an educator, I liked the author's note at the end, along with nonfiction recommendations.

Thank you to Tundra Book Group for allowing me to view an advanced reader's copy of this book in return for an honest review. These opinions are my own.