Ages 6 and up
“Chain Letter, written by Lucille Lang Day and illustrated by Doug Dworkin, is the fun story of a chain letter and its impact on the people and animals who receive its instructions. Following the letter through its arrival in hands of so many recipients, Chain Letter carries its young readers through the good and bad things that fulfilling or disregarding a chain letter might bring in an entertaining and creative story that includes elephants, snake escapes, the Statue of Liberty and her generous donations, the Abominable Snowman, and so much more. An original and popular addition to any school or community library picture book collection, Chain Letter is very highly recommended — especially for all young readers who might one day encounter one of these seemingly endless chain letters.”
— Children’s Bookwatch, Midwest Book Review
“An imaginary chain letter arrives in a bottle on the waves. Readers are encouraged to send out 10,000 copies within 24 hours to prevent rattlesnakes from rising from the toilet, or to perhaps gain $12 million from the Statue of Liberty. The global exploration of possible ills and gains ventures to London, the Galápagos Islands, New York City, California, and the cozy home of the Abominable Snowman. Dworkin’s cartoons bring flamboyant comedy to the terse text. The premise of the story relies on youngsters having knowledge of chain letters, but a clever teacher could follow up a reading of this story with a collaborative creation of a class letter that details the consequences of breaking the chain. Most importantly, the book gives a humorous slant to superstition.”
— Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA, School Library Journal