The book was first published in 2012 and received positive reviews from critics for its storytelling, attention to detail, and teaching of Indigenous history and culture in the United States.

[2] Erdrich has stated that she wanted the main characters of the series to remain the same age as the books' readership, shaping her decision to focus on a new generation in Chickadee.

In response, Makoons ties Zhigaag's moccasins together and greases his jacket while the man sleeps, causing the entire camp to laugh at his disheveled appearance the next morning.

On the ox-cart trail, Chickadee learns the customs of the Metis and visits St. Paul, where he feels amazed by the city's size yet saddened by the destruction of the environment.

Its character list is expansive and continues the universe built in the series' preceding books, following the model of works like Love Medicine and The Round House.

[4][8] However, Seema Kurup, Professor of English at Harper College, argues, "placing the series in the context of the western frontier narrative is itself a form of literary colonization".

San Jacinto College understands the book as a literary form of counting coup: "instead of simply reworking or countering the original texts, they are in fact triumphing over negative images and mindsets while celebrating more culturally sensitive depictions".

Young readers gain a greater understanding of American Indian experiences through Chickadee, allowing them to be more critical when they encounter stereotypes in classics.

[11] Li-ping Chang of the National Taipei University of Business reads Chickadee as a display of ecocentrism: the main character's connection to nature allows him to survive his journey through the woods and eventually reunite with his family.

[12] Throughout Chickadee, Erdrich incorporates a wide variety of Anishinaabe vocabulary, which American poet Margaret Noodin describes as an act of language revitalization.

[4] School Library Journal gave the novel a starred review, noting, "All of the characters, even minor ones, are believable and well developed, and small pencil drawings add to the story's charm."

[5] In a review for The Booklist, Hazel Rochman praised Erdrich's depiction of the relationship between Chickadee and Makoons but also noted that some readers may struggle with the book's large cast of characters.

[9] Debbie Reese, Nambé Pueblo scholar and founder of American Indians in Children's Literature, stated, "I began reading–but not racing–through Chickadee, because it is written with such beauty, power, and elegance that I knew I'd reach the end and wish I could go on.

[19] The book has also appeared on many lists as a suggestion for middle grade readers for both its "direct, elegant style" and its historical lessons on the Indigenous experience in the United States.