1. Acceptance
2. Birds
3. Bravery
4. Courage
5. Happiness
6. Humour
7. Identity
8. Individuality
9. Resilience
10. Self-confidence
11. Self-reliance

When arriving on time, being neat, and taking your work seriously don’t seem to be Fran’s strong suit, she decides to break away from being a ‘good business chicken’ and forge her own path. This fun and light-hearted picture book, by Jess McGeachin, shows that being yourself and having the courage to chase your dreams

After trying in vain to bring laughter, frivolity and a splash of colour to her workplace, Fran realises that she is different. She embraces her uniqueness and embarks on her own new venture, discovering in the process that she is in fact a good business chicken. With a few chicken puns thrown in, this cleverly written story encourages us to celebrate our uniqueness and appreciate the diverse talents of those around us.

The artworks carry much of the humour through little details, ready to be discovered by astute eyes. Each page contrasts the uniformity of the business chickens’ lives with the vibrancy of Fran’s life. The use of predominantly monochromatic illustrations is used to great effect when coupled with the bright colours showcasing Fran and her antics.

And the last double page has a kid’s recipe for making brownies – because there is nothing boring about cooking with kids!

1. Books+Publishing 2 May 2023 review by Karys McEwen of ‘Business Chickens’ https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2023/05/02/230222/business-chickens-jess-mcgeachin-puffin/
2. ReadPlus 12 Jul 2023 review by Fran Knight of ‘Business Chickens’ https://www.readplus.com.au/reviews/business-chickens
3. Kids’ Book Review 9 Mar 2021 ’10 Curly Questions with author/illustrator Jess McGeachin’ http://www.kids-bookreview.com/2021/03/12-curly-questions-with.html
4. Reading with a Chance of Tacos ‘Why do you write. Kids books? An interview with Jess McGeachin, 33 min https://readingwithachanceoftacos.com/why-do-you-write-kids-books/
5. RMIT University 4 June 2020 ‘Drawing inspiration from RMIT alumnus Jess McGeachin’ https://www.rmit.edu.au/news/all-news/2020/jun/premiers-reading-challenge-illustrator
6. Kiddle ‘Chicken Facts for Kids’, comprehensive insights into chickens https://kids.kiddle.co/Chicken
7. Author’s website ‘About’ with bibliography of works, awards and media reports https://www.jessmcgeachin.com/about-jess-mcgeachin