Chicken Dance

by Tammi Sauer, Dan Santat (Illustrator)

Overview

It’s time for the barnyard talent show, and this year the prize is big: tickets to see Elvis Poultry in concert. Chickens Marge and Lola must use all their pluck to outsmart their smarmy duck competition in this hysterically goofy story of big dreams, little talent, and one very famous bird.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781454946571
Publisher:	Union Square Kids
Publication date:	01/24/2023
Pages:	44
Sales rank:	164,217
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Tammi Sauer is a full-time children’s book author of numerous picture books, including Cowboy Camp, Chicken Dance, Nugget & Fang, Your Alien, and Mary Had a Little Glam. Tammi and her family live in Edmond, Oklahoma.
 
Dan Santat is the author and/or illustrator of more than one hundred titles, including the Caldecott Medal winner The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend. He graduated with honors from the Art Center College of Design and is the creator of the Disney animated hit The Replacements. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and various pets.

Editorial Reviews

Move over, Susan Boyle: the next talent-that-comes-out-of nowhere is a pair of chickens named Marge and Lola. They're determined to win tickets to see a performance of their idol, Elvis Poultry. But they'll have to place first in the barnyard talent show—outscoring acts that include a trio of goats that eat a tractor onstage and cows that jump over the moon—and humiliate their snotty duck rivals. “Get some floaties, chickens!” shout the ducks after the chickens test their swimming prowess with unsuccessful results (“They totally sank”). With snappy banter (“We're on,” says Marge as their turn on the stage arrives. “We're doomed,” replies Lola) and tightly constructed storytelling, Sauer (Cowboy Camp) pulls off the neat trick of both embracing and spoofing the against-all-odds genre. Totally in sync with his collaborator, Santat's (Always Lots of Heinies at the Zoo) sculptural, mixed media pictures exude an old-fashioned, theatrical drama that lifts the many jokes—visual and textual—into sublime silliness. Ages 4–7. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Gr 2–4—Taking off on television's popular American Idol show, Sauer's text poses a barnyard talent spree with winners getting two tickets to see the famed Elvis Poultry. In the past, the ducks have always aced the contest, but this year Lola and Marge, two determined chickens, set out to be the winners. Scenes of colorful acrobatics stunts, surfing maneuvers, and even cows jumping over the moon fill the pages, interspersed with funny vote-tallying images. At this point, however, the story stumbles in a bit of confusion. The cows are awarded a 10, flatten the ducks, and receive the winning tickets, while Lola and Marge, who "bawked and flapped and shook all over the stage," get 8.5 and are invited by Elvis to dance in his next show. Santat's illustrations, created in acrylic and ink with Adobe Photoshop, provide silly animal faces in sync with the crazy gyrations of the barnyard beasts' performances. Type is scattered across the page adding to the feeling of the tale's mayhem. Children may not get the Elvis connection, but librarians with plentiful budgets may find the book's contest angle worthy of purchase.—Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA

School Library Journal

A duck-and-chicken rivalry turns foul in this outrageous offering. Barn animals compete in a talent show to win Elvis Poultry concert tickets; after all, the King's "top bird." For chickens Marge and Lola, practice proves fruitless: Bowling squashes them flat, juggling sets feathers on fire and flying leaves the duo disoriented and "up to their wattles" in the haystack. The bullying ducks taunt them along the way. "Don't bother, drumsticks. Ducks win every year." During the night's grand show, the chickens' typical squawking and flapping leaves Elvis impressed with the dynamic divas. The zippy narrative features punchy dialogue and witty interactions; creative wordplay abounds ("Let's bawk and roll!"). Droll delivery soars high, advancing the story line to its playful conclusion. Santat's rich ink-and-acrylic designs provide a humorous context through animated expressions. Elvis, in his signature sequined white suit and dark shades, dominates his double-page spreads. Utilizing shadow and depth, warm colors provide the background for the energetic antics. Fly the coop to enjoy this hilarious adventure. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

"The zippy narrative features punchy dialogue and witty interactions; creative wordplay abounds ("Let's bawk and roll!"). Droll delivery soars high, advancing the story line to its playful conclusion. Santat's rich ink-and-acrylic designs provide a humorous context through animated expressions . . . Utilizing shadow and depth, warm colors provide the backgrounds for the energetic antics. Fly the coop to enjoy this hilarious adventure." —Kirkus Reviews 
 

"With snappy banter...and tightly constructed storytelling, Sauer (Cowboy Camp) pulls off the neat trick of both embracing and spoofing the against-all-odds genre. Totally in sync with his collaborator, Santat's . . . sculptural, mixed media pictures exude an old-fashioned, theatrical drama that lifts the many jokes—visual and textual—into sublime silliness." —Publishers Weekly 

 

From the Publisher