A history of underwear with Professor Chicken by Hannah Holt, illustrated by Korwin Briggs

 Underwear is, of course, inherently funny. Pair it with a stream of plump white chickens and Brigg's inimitable cartoons, and this silly but informational picture book is one side-splitting romp from beginning to end.

The end pages introduce Professor Chicken, with a snazzy purple bow tie, red comb, and wire-rimmed glasses, finishing his lesson on "invertebrates as food and fashion." Next up, underwear! Fuzzy yellow chicks demonstrate small, big, and huge underwear and Professor Chicken starts the history with a slide of early chicken Otzi, complete with leather loincloth. Cartoons take readers on a hilarious and informative journey through the under clothing of ancient Egypt and the creation of linen, plant diapers used by indigenous peoples in Siberia and North America, and on to the elaborate underwear of medieval England. 

A picture gallery follows the trends of women's underwear from the simple chemise through the farthingale, and to the corset. A similar set of pictures show the varieties of Chinese underwear throughout different dynasties. A brief visit to people who broke the rules, like Mary Walker who wore men's clothing, and then a magazine rack of modern underwear from the 1870s to today. Final pages give more information about underwear through the ages and how it gives us clues to historical life and materials. Sources are printed on the endpages. 

This is not only funny and interesting, it also ranges across a wide diversity of cultures, fashions, and materials. Once readers finish laughing at the asides, jokes, and silly subject, they may stop and think a little about how history has developed over the ages in different ways.

Verdict: A solid overview of a silly subject with a serious underlayer. Recommended.

ISBN: 9781250766496; Published February 2022 by Roaring Brook; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library