Children's ✦ Penny’s Take
Lena the Chicken
Linda Bailey · 2025
90/100
👍 Worth It
Lena is exactly the kind of picture book that earns its accolades — funny, visually alive, and carrying a real science hook about bird-dinosaur evolution that sneaks in without lecturing. Starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus plus Best Book of the Year recognition from two separate outlets is a strong consensus signal. A confident buy for any child who loves animals, humor, or being the only one who believes in themselves when everyone else is running away.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety98
substance82
craft92
originality86
accuracy90
hype88
age-fit95
human-eye92
Penny’s verdict90
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