You're Doing THAT in the Talent Show?!

by Lynn Plourde, Sue Cornelison (Illustrator)

Overview

Penelope, the exuberant hippo, and Tiny, her cautious mouse friend, are back in the spotlight in this book about choosing the right time to shine.

When Penelope sees the poster announcing the upcoming school talent show, she can't wait to plan a spectacular act with her best friend, Tiny. Penelope has big ideas: Should they dance the ballet or the hula? Should they perform a scene from a play or be trapeze artists? "Oh, yes, yes!" But "Oh, no, no!" Tiny would rather just sing in the chorus. Finally, by supporting each other, the friends find the perfect way to be part of the show—and bring down the house.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781484714911
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Lynn Plourde is the author of more than thirty children's books and has done hundreds of visits to schools where she shares her books interactively and teaches writing lessons. Lynn is a native Mainer who frequently uses her home state for inspiration. Find her at lynnplourde.com.

Sue Cornelison (www.suecornelison) has illustrated several books for children, including You're Wearing That to School?!; The Twelve Days of Christmas in Iowa; Inch and Mile: The Journey to Success: and the Howard B. Wigglebottom Series. She studied art at Drake University in Iowa and the International School of Studio Art in Florence, Italy. She married jazz musician Ross Cornelison and together they rasied a family of six children in a small rural town while fixing up a 100-year-old Victorian house.

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR BELLA'S FALL COAT

*"Plourde's lovely text about the ephemeral nature of objects and seasons-and the lasting love of family-is beautifully realized by Gal's expressive, digital collage illustrations. . . Adults may feel nostalgia over seasons past-and young readers will be introduced to the enticing lure of autumn and the joys of sharing it with someone they love."— Kirkus (starred review)

PRAISE FOR BELLA'S FALL COAT

"The mutual adoration between Bella and Grams is abundantly evident in the tender exchanges Plourde puts together, as well as in Gal's gauzy, multilayered images, which capture both Bella's near-inexhaustible energy and that of a woodland landscape in flux."— Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR YOU'RE DOING THAT IN THE TALENT SHOW?!

"With lively text and charming, vibrant cartoon illustrations, including ever-enthusiastic, colorfully clad Penelope and the more practical, low-key Tiny, this offers an entertaining, amusing read while insightfully portraying friendship's many facets, from appreciating differences to problem-solving disagreements to showing mutual support."— Booklist

PRAISE FOR YOU'RE DOING THAT IN THE TALENT SHOW?!

"Cornelison's brightly colored cartoon illustrations capture the different personalities of the two friends right from the opening spread. . . Youngsters will enjoy chiming in on the repeated phrases and giggle at Penelope's over-the-top costumes. The addendum "Tips for a Spectacular Performance" is a helpful bonus. VERDICT A showstopper."— School Library Journal

PRAISE FOR YOU'RE WEARING THAT TO SCHOOL?!

* "A hippo with her own sense of style shows her 1-year-older, uptight, mouse best friend that it's important to be true to yourself. . .Plourde's dialogue includes lots of give-and-take between Penelope and Tiny, encouraging children to join in, and Cornelison's illustrations positively revel in Penelope's outr glee.
Penelope joins the ranks of some other popular nonconformists, including Ian Falconer's Olivia, David Shannon's Camilla Cream and Victoria Jamieson's Bea."— Kirkus (starred review)

PRAISE FOR YOU'RE WEARING THAT TO SCHOOL?!

"Penelope's avant-garde choices will certainly appeal to kids who think feather boas go with everything, while Tiny's concern is handled with tenderness and compassion-he really believes he's looking out for his friend. . .Clear writing, lively dialogue, and a solid story structure enhance this title's readaloud value as well. Cornelison's slightly soft-focus illustrations are strongly composed. . .Share this before or during the first day of school for an entertaining discussion prompt about individuality."
— Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

From the Publisher

01/01/2016
K-Gr 2—Exuberant Penelope, a hippo, and her reserved mouse friend, Tiny, are back, and this time Tiny is trying to tone down Penelope's plans for the school talent show. His distressed expressions speak volumes as readers see, via thought bubbles, how he envisions himself serving as Penelope's ballet partner and being squashed behind her in the school chorus. Undaunted, Penelope exclaims, "Oh, yes, yes!" while trying out various dances and donning fairy tale costumes. Tiny, however, responds, "Oh, no, no!," certain he doesn't want to be entangled in Rapunzel's hair, become a pint-sized Jack facing a Giant Penelope, or be a Riding Hood menaced by Penelope Wolf. He nixes all her circus act suggestions, too, and finally determines that although it would be fun to perform together, they should each do their own thing. Tiny will sing in the chorus and Penelope prepares her "ballet-Rapunzel-trapeze act." A four-spread gate fold depicts Tiny disentangling her wig in a daring aerial rescue. Cornelison's brightly colored cartoon illustrations capture the different personalities of the two friends right from the opening spread. Penelope, dressed in a top studded with stars and polka dots, a flouncy skirt, and striped pants, stands arms outspread, her wide open mouth exclaiming, "YIPPEE!" Tiny, in a plain yellow shirt and blue pants, stands with his finger to his lips as he tries to quiet her. Youngsters will enjoy chiming in on the repeated phrases and giggle at Penelope's over-the-top costumes. The addendum "Tips for a Spectacular Performance" is a helpful bonus. VERDICT A showstopper.—Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Greenwich, CT

School Library Journal

2016-03-02
Exuberant Penelope and shy and retiring Tiny, the most oddball of friends, are back, this time trying to decide what they can do together in the school talent show. Fittingly, the book opens with Penelope letting out a loud "YIPPEE" in her excitement over the news and Tiny shushing her: "You're making a scene." Though Tiny has learned his lesson to let Penelope be her own hippo, the uptight mouse is still not comfortable being a part of what he sees as her extravagant ideas for a best-friends talent-show act: dance (ballet? Hula? Hip-hop?), a skit ("Rapunzel"? "Jack and the Beanstalk"? "Little Red Riding Hood"?), a circus act (trapeze? Clowns? Lion tamer?). But his idea—the chorus—just isn't spectacular enough for Penelope. In the end, Tiny suggests that the two be in the show, just in different acts, and they can clap for each other. And when Penelope's "ballet-Rapunzel-trapeze act" goes awry, her best friend is there to rescue her as if it were part of the act all along. Cornelison's illustrations play up the size difference between the two friends as well as Tiny's reticence versus Penelope's over-the-top verve. Tiny's thought bubbles are hysterical as he imagines lifting the hippo in a pas de deux or having her try to be the center of attention in the chorus. Best friends don't have to do everything together, but they are there for one another, and Tiny and Penelope exemplify that. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews