The Talent Show

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

A lively and brilliantly coloured picture book about the importance of judging people on talent, not on size.

Four friends decide to enter a Talent Show. A small red bird asks to join them, but they laugh and tell him he's too small. But then a mysterious, tall stranger arrives to audition for lead singer, and turns out to be someone quite unexpected.

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Hodgkinson's American debut is a didactic tale told in plodding, rhymed verse, though her jovial illustrations partially offset the weakness of the text. A ragtag band in search of a lead singer rejects a red bird for no other reason than he's "much too small." The band members audition several singers before they are captivated by the singing of a "tall stranger," comically dressed in a long trench coat and cat's eye glasses. As the stranger sings and dances, his costume falls apart, revealing (no surprise) the red bird on stilts, but the forced gravitas of the text undercuts the humor. When the band says, "Red Bird, will you forgive us, please?/ We realize we were wrong to tease," the bird answers, "You really were unwise/ to simply judge me by my size." What follows is a brief subplot about the bird's fears of singing in front of an audience, but he quickly recovers and the band wins the talent show because, the judges judged on talent, not on size," a message that hardly needed repeating. Ages 4-9. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

School Library Journal Review

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 (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Booklist Review

Friends Bear, Lion, Snake, and Croc are excited about the upcoming talent show. At practice, their band is really swinging, but something's missing: vocals. Alas, the only sounds that / they could make / were GRR, SNAP, GROWL / and HISS of Snake. It's time for auditions, but so far, no good: they dismiss the only one to audition, Red Bird ( You're much too small. / Now GO AWAY! says Bear). But right when almost all hope is lost, a tall, mysterious, sunglasses-wearing stranger arrives, revealing a fabulous voice and an unexpected surprise. Though perhaps a bit lengthy for younger ones, this upbeat debut's bouncy stanzas keep the pace lively, while cheerful, cartoonish art, both full page and panel style, portrays the expressive, humorously attired animals (Snake, for example, looks like a beatnik in her beret). Readers will appreciate Red Bird's determination to participate despite initial rejection as well as the reassuring message that it's not size and appearance but what's inside that matters.--Rosenfeld, Shelle Copyright 2010 Booklist

Horn Book Review

Bandmates Bear, Lion, Snake, and Croc dismiss Red Bird because of his diminutive size. Eventually they realize that the bird's singing voice could give their rockin' band that little something extra to win the talent show. Even meter and vivid, amiable illustrations help make up for a couple of uninspired rhymes in the text and for the story's obvious lesson. (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Kirkus Book Review

(Picture book. 4-6)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.