Kathleen Karr (Children's Literature)
After a long drought, Daniel Pinkwater has graced the world with another novel. It is a sequel of sorts--a Pinkwater sort of sequel--to his The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (orig. 1977.) Ivan Itch (nicknamed "Nick") has been dragged from the suburbs by his parents to experience the true urban glories of row house life Hoboken, N.J. Fortunately--through a hole in his basement wall--he meets his new best friends, Loretta Fischetti and Bruno Ugg. Together they escape Hoboken's heat wave by hanging out in his friends' laundry room reading old Classics Comics and listening to the local pirate radio station (blues, country, chicken songs.) Chicken songs? That's a clue, folks! From these modest beginnings Pinkwater effortlessly spins a tale of adventure, intrigue, and potential romance. These are all modest, mind you. This is set in Hoboken, N.J., after all. Along the way he manages to graduate the kids from Classics Comics to the real McCoy, which should automatically endear the book to every librarian in the land. And yes, Virginia, Henrietta the Giant Chicken lives! 'Nuff said. 2004, HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 8 to 12.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2004 (Vol. 72, No. 10))
Almost 30 years after The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (1977), the streets of that fair city are once again being stalked, not by a six-foot chicken, but by a mysterious phantom. Enter on the scene Ivan Itch ("Call me Nick"), whose parents have just moved the family to Hoboken to have an "urban lifestyle." Nick fairly quickly makes friends with neighbors Loretta Fischetti and Bruno Ugg, who share with him a love of Classic Comics and Dr. Pedwee's soda. An exploration of Nick's basement uncovers an old scrapbook about the Emergency, spurring a joint mission to unmask the phantom and discover whatever happened to Arthur Bobowicz. Aided by rather demented librarian Starr Lackawanna, Nick, Loretta, and Bruno solve both mysteries, which turn out to be far more closely related than they thought. The story itself is slight, though characteristically funny; what makes this book is the way the old-customs, buildings, literature, friends-constantly informs the new, in a truly sweet celebration of what was and what can be, if we just remember and respect. 2004, HarperCollins, 208p, $15.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 8 to 12. © 2004 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ann M.G. Gray (Library Media Connection, January 2005)
In this sequel to The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (Simon & Schuster, 1990), Ivan (a.k.a. Nick) and his parents sell their perfectly good house in the suburbs to move to the city. He makes friends with Bruno and Loretta who live in the apartment building next door. To escape the beastly heat of the Hoboken, New Jersey summer, the three friends hang out in the basement reading Classics Comics. One day they discover a scrapbook that has clippings detailing the escape of a giant chicken in Hoboken years ago. The friends decide to investigate to find out whatever became of the chicken, Henrietta, and her young owner, Arthur. They also hope to solve the mystery of the phantom that is stealing bicycles all over town and then stealing their comics, leaving a tuna sandwich in its place. Using the local library and getting help from the friendly, eccentric librarian, Starr, as well as other neighborhood characters, the friends discover a cave and the answer to the missing items. This story will appeal to readers who like stories like the Captain Underpants series (Scholastic, Inc.). There is just enough foolishness to get them chuckling. Chapters are very short, which will appeal to reluctant readers. I was pleased to see the obvious plug for libraries, librarians, and for reading the classics. The drawings are delightful. Recommended. 2004, HarperCollins, 201pp., $15.99 hc. Ages 9 to 12.

Krista Hutley (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July 2004 (Vol. 57, No. 11))
Not only does Ivan Itch have to put up with moving from a modern house with a yard in a nice, suburban neighborhood to a 120-year-old city-gritty building in Hoboken, once he gets there his bicycle is immediately stolen. Okay, so it's not a great bike--it's for a little girl, decorated with pink hearts and flowers, and it wobbles--but it's the principle of the thing. Tracking down the thief, however, poses problems; neighboring kids Loretta and Bruno speculate that it's Hoboken's phantom, who "lurks in the shadows" and has been stealing bikes and other things for a while. While clue hunting, the three stumble across The Hoboken Chicken Emergency (BCCB 6/77), preserved as newspaper articles in a scrapbook; therefore, Ivan decides to search for Arthur Bobowicz and his giant chicken Henrietta as well. The searches converge as it is revealed, in a Scooby-Doo-like unmasking of the phantom, that Henrietta has gone bad again, this time turning to petty larceny. Pinkwater's offbeat humor and sly satire are in evidence, especially in his adults, all of whom seem to be foggily absorbed in their own odd realities; Ivan's father, a N.J.-native who speaks in outdated British slang, and Ivan's mother, who cheerily allows Ivan to "start conversations with alcoholic homeless men in the park," calling it an "urban experience," are prime examples. The characterizations and events are too cartoonish to offer much story, leading to a shallow silliness that, like a handful of candy, goes down easy but wears off quickly. Still, every kid loves candy, and the laughable moments, deadpan asides, and quirky characters running rampant through Hoboken like a 266-pound chicken will be enough for most readers. Review Code: Ad -- Additional book of acceptable quality for collections needing more material in the area. (c) Copyright 2004, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2004, HarperCollins, 200p, $16.89 and $15.99. Grades 3-6.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2004)
A glimpse of a tall hooded figure riding Nick's stolen bike and some old newspaper clippings about a giant chicken that once terrorized Hoboken lead Nick to believe that the plus-sized pullet may again be running amuck. This sequel to The Hoboken Chicken Emergency features zany characters and all manner of outlandish encounters and near-disasters. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2004, HarperCollins, 201pp, $15.99, $16.89. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 2: Superior, well above average.