Published By: Usborne
Pages: 304
Released On: 09/04/2026
Reading Age: 9-12
All Marinka’s life, she has lived in her house with chicken legs. Running across the world on magical adventures, Marinka knows how her house is feeling, and it listens to her, too. But something is wrong. And before anyone can stop it, the house has pulled itself apart and run away.
With her friend Benjamin and crow Jack, Marinka races after it to find answers. Travelling across far-distant lands, through new realms and magical places, Marinka must face up to her fears to save her friends. But her house might not want to stop running…
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Usborne for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
The first Chicken Legs book sounded so silly and, in a way, it was, but it had such heart to it that I found it so moving as well as funny and entertaining – even if I am considerably older than the target audience. And I was so excited to read the sequel.
The finished book will feature illustrations by Elisa Paganelli and I look forward to seeing them as I think they will definitely add another layer to the story.
I love that the house in this book has become a character of its own; it’s just wonderful. We have the same characters as the first book to give us that familiarity, but also some new characters which keeps it fresh. They’re all so well written, so layered, and I cared for them all deeply.
What I love about this series is the perspective on death. Death, particularly here in the UK, is seen as taboo. Even though it’s the only guaranteed thing in every single living organism, we brush it under the carpet, we have all these euphemisms for it. But in a lot of other countries, death is seen as just another part of life and it is to be celebrated and honoured. And this book really shows that in a positive light. That yes, death is sad, but it’s also the start of a whole new adventure.
And I think it’s important we don’t ignore the idea of death, particularly with children. They need to learn that whilst it can be sad, death shouldn’t be scary, and so to have such a message in a mainstream book is fabulous.
It is book two but it can be read as a standalone, however, I personally think you need to read the first book to get the most out of it.
It’s fun and humorous and mad and silly, but it’s also about loss, friendship, community, family, adventure, facing your fears, dealing with obstacles, and embracing your future.
I read this four months after reading the first one, and whilst that may not be a huge amount of time, my memory is terrible and so I couldn’t really remember the specifics of the first book, but as soon as I started this I was swept right back into it.
I didn’t expect to cry at a book about a house with chicken legs but it was so moving.
It is a fabulous book – and duology (I don’t think there’s room for more) – with some important topics, some important questions, but it doesn’t sacrifice any of it’s silliness or sense of adventure or humour. It’s the ideal book for children to lose themselves in, but as someone who is 3x the reading age, I thoroughly recommend it to older readers too, because the messaging is just as important – and sometimes, adults just want to read a silly book about a house with chicken legs.
Books By Your Bedside 