Chicken Boy, Arthur Parkinson
Chicken Boy, Arthur Parkinson
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Chicken Boy
My Life With Hens

Author: Arthur Parkinson

Narrator: Arthur Parkinson

Unabridged: 7 hr 49 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 04/06/2023

Synopsis

Brought to you by Penguin.

A captivating testament to the mutual rewards and delights of keeping chickens, by the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Flower Yard

Most of us want a dog, or a cat, or a pony when we are young – but for Arthur Parkinson, it was always hens. Growing up in an ex-mining town in Nottinghamshire, the other kids in the playground called him 'Chicken Boy'. The quiet fulfilment of keeping hens became his sanctuary, a tonic for mental and physical health, a connection with his family and the natural world. Illustrated with Arthur's own characterful watercolours and photographs of his ‘girls’, Chicken Boy is a one-of-a-kind memoir of a life in nature.

©2023 Arthur Parkinson (P)2023 Penguin Audio

About Arthur Parkinson

Arthur Parkinson trained at Kew Gardens. After graduating, he pursued an interest in growing cut flowers by working for renowned gardener Sarah Raven. He continued to work for her as a florist, arranging flowers and teaching, and together they recorded the much-praised podcast Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange. Arthur designed a garden for the Emma Bridgewater factory in Staffordshire, which received wide acclaim, as did the accompanying book, The Pottery Gardener. His second book, The Flower Yard, was one of The Times Best Gardening Books of 2021. A guest presenter on BBC Gardeners' World, he has also written about gardening and keeping poultry for several newspapers and magazines and his memoir, Chicken Boy, was published in 2023. He shares his photography on Instagram.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Katy on April 08, 2023

This was one of the nicest books I have read in simply forever. Parkinson is charming and knowledgeable, passionate about chickens and the way of life he has chosen and he is very generous in the way he shares it with the reader. Everything about this book is great. The photography, the illustration......more

Goodreads review by Daniel on April 21, 2023

A good mixture of biography and guide to chickens that was well-written and well presented (I listened to the book) although a little more like a lecture in parts still a good listen.......more

Goodreads review by Zuzanna on March 17, 2025

Precious book! A perfectly balanced memoir, hen keeping guide and art/photo exhibition of the joys and realities of keeping hens. I adored every page of this book and will be planning out my own desert island flock immediately.......more

Goodreads review by Zoë on May 16, 2023

A charming world of feathers ,beautifully illustrated and highly informative. Would love to have chickens but not enough space unfortunately and having read this book I would want only the best for my chickens!🥰......more

Goodreads review by Charlene on March 25, 2025

I'm resisting the urge to go and give my ladies a big cuddle after finishing this delightful book, (it's night time, they're sleeping).......more

Quotes

Poetic... Parkinson writes with great lyricism... His knowledgeable enthusiasm is infectious Sunday Times

A joy from the very first page. Arthur's beautiful, lively and accurate drawings of these enchanting feathery people are irresistible, and I just love the way he writes. I am now jealous of fox-free areas where chickens may be kept. The photographs are award-winning: the whole thing is bliss

An author whose writing is as unashamedly ebullient as his dazzling displays Gardens Illustrated

This hugely informative, joyful and amusing book has me desperately wondering and hoping that I could, after all, find space in my small garden for a few chickens. Maybe the rhubarb will have to go

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