The latest book from Anna Wilson, I'm A Chicken, Get Me Out Of Here! , hits bookshops on Thursday, August 1.
The renowned children's author, from Bradford on Avon, has aimed the book at seven to 11 year old girls and boys.
"I think they'll think it's good fun," says Wilson, "It's a funny book."
It tells the story of a chicken called Titch who joins Wilf's family by mistake: Wilf's mum is always ordering things on the internet, and accidently orders a live chicken instead of the easy-cook chicken breasts she had in mind.
Titch joins the family and quickly becomes Wilf's favourite animal, but this doesn't go down well with the other pets, who plot to get rid of Titch. It's only when the animals are put in danger by a mysterious foxy visitor that Titch, with all her cunning and worldly wisdom, is able to save the day!
Anna's own chickens at home in Bradford-on-Avon inspired her to write the story.
In fact, the hero of her story is named after one of the author's chickens, which went missing when the family tried to shut up the chickens for the night.
They knew there was a fox den in the garden, so went to bed fearing that they'd never see Titch again.
But in the morning they found the plucky chicken patiently waiting outside the hatch to get back in.
"What do you think she did all night?" Anna asked her son.
They joked about what she could have done to fight off the fox, and soon after Anna began to write Titch's story.
"Children love having pets," she said.
"I think they like to have something to be responsible for and a pet's almost like a friend.
"As a child I had a cat and I used to tell it everything.
"Children enjoy imagining what pets could be thinking, and I like to give my readers a glimpse at the thoughts of my animal characters, as well as the human ones.
"The fun part of being a children's writer is getting to spend time with imaginary characters.
"I'm a big kid who hasn't grown up."
Anna has always loved writing. Even before she could read and write she used to try and copy the shapes of other people's handwriting.
She said: "I have to write – I feel a bit weird if I don't.
"It helps me sort out my thoughts."
"It also helps me to experiment with ideas for books.
"I do have to be self-disciplined though."
"I write at home and have a strict routine: I take the kids to school, go on a run, and then write until it's time to pick up the kids.
"The hardest thing is making yourself write every day.
"It's still a job even if you enjoy writing."
She stresses the importance of being persistent and writing even on the days when you have no ideas.
Anna has now written over 20 children's books, several of which have been inspired by her local surroundings.
Her Pooch Parlour series was prompted by a trip to her hairdressers in Bradford-on-Avon, The Courtyard Hair & Beauty.
She had writer's block when she went to get her hair cut, but after they suggested she wrote about them in her next book, ideas started to form.
Anna said: "I invented a hair salon where dogs could be pampered too and set it in a town called Crumbly- Under-Edge, which is actually based on Bradford-on-Avon."
I'm A Chicken, Get Me Out Of Here! is published by Macmillan Children's Books and costs £5.99.
Lucy Geake
