Photo by Kelly Milner Halls

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD? 
DAVID SHANNON HAS THE ANSWER 
By Kelly Milner Halls 

When celebrated author/illustrator David Shannon grew up in Spokane, WA he wasn’t scolded for drawing in school. He wasn’t pestered or pounded by bullies.  He didn’t even starve in neglect.  David Shannon was a happy kid, unlike so many angst driven children's authors and illustrators.  Imagine that.  

How did Shannon garner early support?  He has a theory.  “Very few people discouraged me from drawing,” he says, “because it was the one way to get me to shut up.” 

Fair enough.  But talent might also have had something to do with it. 

“There’s an artistic streak that goes way back on [my dad’s] side of the family and he’s a pretty good artist himself,” Shannon admits.  “He always made sure I had plenty of materials and he took time to look at what I was doing. He still spots things in my illustrations that no one else sees.”

Shannon's teachers also fed the fires.  “Mrs. Castoldi was my first art teacher in pre-school. Later on I went to the Spokane Art School, which was taught by Joe Kagle. He really opened my eyes to art in general. We visited Harold Balasz’s studio a couple of times. Harold is incredible! Ken Spering was my high school art teacher. He was very supportive despite my less-than-classical tastes (i.e. comic books) and my poor attendance record!”

With dozens of books on his resume, including 1998 Caldecott Honor Book No David! (loosely based on a book he drew as a 5-year-old and kindergartener at Hutton Elementary), he’s proved the faith of friends and family was well invested.  He’s made the grade.  He’s even earned the right to play.

Enter Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? (Dial, September 2006) --  a collection of 14 full-color, two page spreads by 14 of the best children’s illustrators in the business.  Each artist, including David Shannon, Mo Willems, Chris Raschka, Jerry Pinkney and Tedd Arnold, answered the question in their own distinctive way.

Shannon’s contribution features a chicken at the wheel of a stylish convertible, a pig riding shotgun, and a bull wedged into the tiny backseat.  Why did this chicken cross the road?  “Because the light was green,” Shannon contends, at least in this version.  But other options crossed his mind.

“I had one image where chicken is caught in the middle of the road with a HUMONGOUS semi-truck bearing down. The answer would have been: ‘No one will ever know.’”

Inspired by David Shannon’s childhood imagination, we asked the next generation why THEY thought the chicken crossed the road.  Their answers offer hope for the picture book future.  

“He went to the other side to eat.”
Colt, age 12 

“Because the carnival was across the road and he knew it was his ‘clucky’ day.”
Conner, age 11 

“Because the sign said walk.”
Peyton, age 8 

“To get to his family.”
Sara Lennon, age 8 

“To show he wasn’t chicken.”
Cora Fredericks, age 8 

”Maybe his home was over there.”
Emily Lennon, age 6

”To play baseball!”
Logan Lennon, age 5

Four-year-old Ian was a little shaky on why the chicken was crossing the road, but his advise was rock solid.  

“The chicken had better be careful,” Ian cautioned, “or it might get run over by a big white truck!”