Cornelius & the Constipated Chicken
About
Cornelius just wanted to earn some quick cash. How hard could it be to chicken‑sit his aunt’s constipated hen – a bird who’s never worked out how to lay an egg?
Instead, Cornelius ends up in a bubbling hot tub of trouble involving high‑tech security, a possible operation involving a meat cleaver, and a romantic rooster who thinks he’s Romeo and God’s gift to chickens.
Can Cornelius escape this feather‑brained body‑switch disaster, or is he destined to be remembered forever as one giant dumb cluck?
What’s inside
Cornelius & the Constipated Chicken can be enjoyed as a standalone adventure—no need to have read the earlier books first.
Every Cornelius book also includes:
· A page of terrible-but-brilliant jokes
· Fun trivia pages
· A sneak peek at another Cornelius adventure
· A playlist featuring famous song titles hidden throughout the book—can you find them all?
Important Library Information
Title: Cornelius & the Constipated Chicken
Author: Roly Nutkins
Illustrator: Desin Esa
Series: Baybridge Body Switchers
Recommended age: 8–12
Genre: Funny middle-grade adventure; children’s comedy; body-swap story
Formats: Paperback and ebook
ISBN (paperback): 978-1-923342-51-4
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-923342-52-1
Publication date: June 2026
Publisher: Laughing Lyrebird Productions Pty Ltd
Praise for this book
Must Read (5- star review)
Cornelius & the Constipated Chicken is a fun, exciting story with many memorable, humorous scenes that will entertain kids and adults.
Twelve-year-old Cornelius was under the assumption that watching over his aunt's constipated hen would be easy peasy, especially since it was in a cage. He thought wrong, and readers will enjoy every bit of the mayhem that unfolds. Cornelius & the Constipated Chicken gives the Freaky Friday plot an unexpected twist: instead of two humans switching bodies, it's a boy and a hen. Sounds funny, right?! Oh, it is!
Amusing moments can be found throughout the 11 chapters, leaving me wishing certain scenes were illustrated. One example, Cornelius and Dolly Part-hen enjoying a super-sudsy soak in the hot tub. By the way, I love the cute wordplay on the hen's name and other poultry names featured in the story. Another example of hilarity was when Cornelius-hen found relief from constipation that plagued Dolly Part-hen. A third example of a comedic encounter revolved around Gregory Peck. Cornelius absolutely did not want to make a romantic connection with Gregory Peck! A final example of a ha-ha scene, but surely not the final one in the story, centered around a ringing cellphone, a confused hen/boy, and a resourceful boy/hen. Forget illustrations, I want these scenes, no, the entire story animated!
Readers will love every moment of the story and wish the fun wasn't over, and their wish will be granted. The author has graciously added sneak peeks in other stories, a playlist of "songs" featured in the story, "no questions asked - trivia," multiple-choice questions (with answer key), and "eggs-tra funny jokes" that lived up to the title.
Amazon's recommended reading age is 8-12 years, but I think this book is perfect for those who love silly stories or need a good laugh.