The Talent Show

PreS-Gr 1—Hodgkinson's debut is well-tuned. Drummer Bear, pianist Croc, trumpeter Lion, and percussionist Snake jam, then plan to compete in a contest, until they realize that they lack singing talent. A tiny red bird in a fedora, whom they initially dismiss for being too small, wows at auditions in disguise (striped stilts, oversize glasses, and a yellow trench coat) and receives apologies when his identity is revealed. Despite the bird's tenacity, stage fright sets in until the band's rhythm "started in his feet/and traveled quickly to his beak." The quintet, of course, wins the top prize and poses before a backdrop of stars that reflect their success. The "bigger isn't better" lesson is slightly heavy-handed, but the rhyming text and dynamic scenes in vivid colors keep the tale rocking. Panels in various sizes are simple compositions that encourage focus on the personalities depicted. From the crooning moose to the singing hippo in a boa, the illustrations don't miss a beat of humor. Read this aloud with soft but bouncy jazz in the background, and your crowd will cheer as well.—Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA