The Talent Show

January 24, 2011
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.

February 1, 2011

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

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