A History of Underwear with Professor Chicken

Starred review from January 1, 2022

K-Gr 4-A hilarious and surprisingly compelling history of underwear starring chickens that sets the stage for all the information that follows. Holt covers the verbiage of underwear-it's referred to as a "pair" of underwear because typically it was once comprised of two pieces-as well as funny historical facts, for example, that King Tut was entombed with 100 pairs of underwear. Several pages are devoted to the evolution of underwear in different cultures. Funny puns abound amid the facts, but what really sets the book apart is the artwork. The chickens wearing underwear are so silly, it's impossible not to smile while reading it. The juxtaposition of the mostly serious historical text with such charming and adorable chickens is just magical. Back matter includes an illustrated time line. VERDICT Do not miss this very fun and informative book, which is an excellent choice for anyone interested in fashion, history, or chickens.-Debbie Tanner

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 10, 2022
A fowl marches across time and space shedding new light on the history of people’s intimate relationship with intimate apparel. As Biggs’s crisp cartoons portray poultry-dominated peoples, Professor Chicken (who sports a bow tie, but not underpants) touches on subjects including why underwear is still referred to as a “pair,” as well as the evolution of innovation and taste that led from the loincloth to the codpiece (“fancy underwear on the outside”) and, eventually, the thong. Though the text fails to initially define specific terms (farthingale, panniers, stays), and an ending timeline is frustratingly out of order, Holt writes with a relish for juicy facts and irreverent wordplay (about the loincloths buried with King Tut: “That’s a lot of Fruit of the Tomb”). But she also makes a compelling case for the historicity of material culture: how even mundane items can speak volumes about a society’s technologies, class structure, and commitment to sustainability. Ages 3–9.

July 29, 2022
Grades 1-4 School is in session, and it's time for Professor Chicken to teach the class about underwear. Since the first glacier-preserved leather loincloth appeared 5,000 years ago, there has been everything from Egyptian linen on King Tut to reindeer moss being used for baby diapers in Siberia. While coifs, codpieces, and farthingales made their way through England, baofu and xinyi and zhuyao were sweeping China, and of course modern strides include the first bra in 1913, Y-front briefs in 1935, girdles, and Spanx. Not only is this book amazingly informative and chock-full of facts--including terrifically engaging back matter that explores everything from power-weaving looms to vulcanized rubber in a kid-friendly way--but it remains accessible and cheerful because, namely, there is no reader on the planet who won't giggle upon seeing a cartoon chicken in a corset. The concept is perfect for the topic and territory, and the artwork is hilarious. It elevates the work from fact-filled nonfiction to a memorable and chuckle-filled Ted talk. Quite simply, it doesn't get much better than poultry in a petticoat.

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