The Churkendoose:

READER’S THEATER SCRIPT

One of my favorite children’s books is a little known story from the1940′s called The Churkendoose by Ben Ross Berenberg. My grandmother read it to my mother when she was little and my mother read it to me. It’s a wonderful story about being yourself.

The Churkendoose is a creature that’s part chicken, turkey, duck and goose. He talks in rhyme and likes to tap dance! The other birds think he’s weird, and kick him off the farm. The Churkendoose tap dances away and sings a song about being different. But when a wily fox attacks the farm, it’s the Churkendoose that saves day and the other birds realize that differences can be a very good thing.  

Go HERE to download my reader’s theater adaptation of 

The Churkendoose. 

Go HERE to hear Ray Bolger tell the story and sing the songs!