I Love Lance
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A storybook for ages 4–8

For the child who feels too loud,
too much, too different.

A gentle, beautifully illustrated picture book about a misunderstood little rooster named Lance — and the quiet hen who hears something nobody else does. Because sometimes, all it takes is one heart that understands.

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Inspired by two real chickens Watercolor throughout Perfect for read-aloud
I Love Lance book cover — Lance the rooster and Louisiana the hen on a barn weathervane
Why this book exists

Every child has a Lance moment.

The moment they wonder if the very thing that makes them them is the reason they don't quite fit. I Love Lance was written for that moment.

"

For the loud one.

The kid who can't whisper. Whose laugh fills the room. Who's been told, more than once, that they're "a lot."

⌒

For the sensitive one.

The kid who feels everything double. Who notices when the flock turns away. Who carries it home in their small chest.

✦

For the lonely one.

The kid who's wondering if anyone really sees them. This is the book that tells them: somebody does.

The story, in short

A rooster nobody asked for.
A hen who hears him anyway.

Lance wakes the farm every morning with his loudest, proudest crow. He thinks he's doing his job. The hens and ducks wish he'd stop.

So one morning, Lance doesn't crow at all. He walks off into the meadow alone. And in the silence he leaves behind, one red hen named Louisiana realizes she misses him.

Chapter One

The Loneliest Rooster

Lance learns the truth: the very thing he's proudest of is the thing nobody wants.

Chapter Two

A Hen with a Heart

While the flock celebrates the quiet, Louisiana slips out the gate alone to find him.

Chapter Three

A Rooster's Redemption

A meadow. A fox. A crow that suddenly means everything. And a friendship that changes the farm.

The full cast of I Love Lance — Henrietta, Louisiana, Lance, Garry, Daisy, Penny, Diana, Anne, and Waddles
Meet the cast

A whole barnyard of characters worth knowing.

Kids fall for the names long before they finish the story. Each one painted, each one named, each one with a personality of their own.

  • Lance — the loud rooster
  • Louisiana — the kind red hen
  • Henrietta — the speckled grouch
  • Daisy — the dreamy white hen
  • Penny — the small brown hen
  • Waddles — the lead duck
  • Diana & Anne — the duck sisters
  • Garry — the clumsy rooster
All it takes is one heart to understand.
— from I Love Lance
Why parents & teachers love it

A bedtime story and a quiet teacher.

01

Teaches that being yourself is enough.

Without ever lecturing. Lance doesn't change who he is — the flock learns to hear him. That's a lesson kids carry home in their bones.

02

Three short chapters, perfect for read-aloud.

Long enough to feel like a real story. Short enough to finish in one sitting — or three cozy nights, one chapter each.

03

Original watercolor illustrations on every spread.

Hand-painted feathers, sunsets, meadow flowers, and a fox you'll remember. Designed to look like a book you'll keep on the shelf.

04

Gentle enough for big feelings.

No yelling, no scary villains. Just loneliness, a small act of bravery, and the kind of friendship that's worth getting back home for.

What you're getting

The details.

  • Reading Age
    4 – 8 years
  • Chapters
    3 short chapters
  • Illustrations
    Original watercolor
  • Best For
    Bedtime · Classroom
  • Theme
    Belonging · Friendship
  • Tone
    Gentle · Warm · Honest
Back cover of I Love Lance
Lance the rooster and Louisiana the hen sharing a cicada in a meadow of wildflowers
Lance & Louisiana —
in real life.
About the author

Written by someone who actually knows them.

Brooke LeeAnn

Lance and Louisiana aren't characters Brooke dreamed up. They're real chickens, living on her real farm — with the same loud crow and the same quiet kindness you'll read about in the book.

The friendship between them is what got Brooke writing in the first place. The rest is just paying attention. She lives among hens, ducks, an opinionated rooster or two, and the kind of mornings that start with a cock-a-doodle-doo whether you're ready or not.

I Love Lance is her first picture book. Lance is taking the news pretty well.

— Brooke Author · Chicken-Keeper · Morning Person (Reluctantly)
Early readers

What families are saying.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"My son asked to read it three nights in a row. On the third night, he told me he was Lance. We had the best conversation."

— Sarah, mom of a 6-year-old
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"I read this to my kindergarten class during a hard week. By the end, the room was quiet in the good way. They got it."

— Ms. Reyes, kindergarten teacher
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

"The illustrations alone are worth it. But the story — oh, the story. This one stays on the shelf forever."

— Lauren, grandparent & book hoarder
Before you order

A few quick questions.

What age is this book really for?

Best for ages 4–8. Younger kids will love the watercolor art and follow the emotional arc with you. Independent readers around 6–8 can read the three short chapters themselves with a little support on the bigger words.

Is it scary? There's a fox.

No. The fox shows up briefly, Lance scares it off, and it runs away. There's tension — the good kind — but nothing graphic. Every spread is designed to feel safe enough for bedtime.

How long does it take to read aloud?

About 12–15 minutes for the whole book, or roughly 4–5 minutes per chapter if you split it across three nights.

Are Lance and Louisiana really real?

Yes! They live on Brooke's farm. The loud one really is loud. The kind one really is kind. Most of what's in the book actually happened — minus, thankfully, the fox.

Is this part of a series?

Lance is the first. More gentle farm fables are on the way — each one starring a different misunderstood animal who finds the one friend who sees them.

Where does the book ship from?

Printed and shipped through Amazon. Available in print and (where supported) Kindle. Click "Order Your Copy" to see formats and shipping options in your country.

Give a child the book about them.

Some books teach colors. Some teach counting. I Love Lance teaches a child that the loudest, softest, strangest part of them is also the part somebody will love them for.

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Ships from Amazon · Read-aloud ready · Ages 4–8