Chicken Dance [Hardcover]

Tammi Sauer (Author), Dan Santat (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2009 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Meet Marge and Lola, chickens on a mission: to win tickets for the Elvis Poultry Show! But their toughest competition—a pack of menacing ducks—sneers that “all a chicken can do is bawk, flap, and shake.” Can our two feisty chicks show those quackers how to rock ’n’ roll the barnyard?

Tammi Sauer and Dan Santat have whipped up a giddy, goofy romp where cows fly over the moon, ducks surf in a water trough, and one very familiar-looking rooster gets all shook up!

 

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 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 END

Review

"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 

 

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 36 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402753667
• ISBN-13: 978-1402753664
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #624,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars meh, October 16, 2010

By 

Meghal Mehta (PROVIDENCE, RI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicken Dance (Hardcover)

We think the book is ok, but not outstanding. The artwork is good, but something about the way the text has been broken down over the pages seems not quite right, which is weird because I don't ever remember the pacing being an issue in other children's books we've read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Ain't Your Grandma's Chicken Dance!, September 26, 2009

By 

ilovebooks4kids (Somerset County, NJ, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chicken Dance (Hardcover)

I remember the "chicken dance" from my youth. Performed at weddings by Grandma, it was a surefire family embarrassment. Thank goodness author Tammi Sauer has emerged with a humorous tale of barnyard birds that can replace that old chicken dance and create a whole new sensation.

According to henhouse pals Marge and Lola, Elvis Poultry is a hunk of bawking love. When the barnyard talent show is announced, the pair discover the grand prize is two tickets to Elvis' Final Doodle Doo concert tour. They must win!

Unfortunately, ducks are top dog at this farm, so the two hens have a lot to overcome.

Marge and Lola test out their talents but the ducks quack at every failed attempt. When Marge and Lola finally hit the stage--following solid goat, pig and cow acts--they stammer and gulp. A duck heckles, "What's the matter? Are you chicken?" so they begin to flap and shake. Just regular chicken stuff, nothin' fancy. But the crowd loves it and crows for more.

The next spread features Marge and Lola performing dance moves that would make Grandma shake in her boots. They vogue, point like John Travolta, domo arigato misuta robotto, and walk like an Egyptian. Illustrator Dan Santat makes chickens boogie better than "So You Think You Can Dance" finalists.

I can't reveal the contest results, as that would spoil all the feathery fun. But I will tell you that Elvis is in the building. Err, I mean barn.

Yes, just one look at the blinged-out, white-caped Elvis Poultry on the front cover, and you know this ain't Grandma's paltry poultry impersonation. It's guaranteed fun for the entire family, without embarrassment (unless you want to try out the dance moves on the inside covers).

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book for Kids and Parents, August 13, 2009

By 

Julie Peterson "Booking Mama" (Central PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Chicken Dance (Hardcover)

CHICKEN DANCE, written by Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Dan Santat, is one of the funniest books that I've read in a very long time. I don't know who enjoyed it more -- my five year old son or me! CHICKEN DANCE is such a terrific book because it appeals to kids of all ages. The little ones will find the characters and the plot to be very funny, but grown-ups will appreciate all the spoofs and creative storytelling.

I absolutely howled when I read this book right along with all of the barnyard animals. The concept behind this book -- that the farm animals are competing to win tickets to the Elvis Poultry show -- is just too funny! I loved the competition and what each set of animals did for their "talent." I also enjoyed seeing the competitive spirit between the chickens and the ducks -- my son thought the mean ducks were hilarious! I don't want to spoil the ending, but suffice it to say that it was very cute.

As most parents know, when a child enjoys a book, he/she asks for you to read it to them a lot-- something to do with that whole learning by repetition thing, I suppose. What I love about CHICKEN DANCE is that I don't mind reading it again and again. It's almost always my job to read to my son every night before bedtime, but I told my husband that he needs to read this book to the boy -- it's just so darn funny! I can pretty much guarantee that there is at least one laugh per page.

The illustrations in the book are marvelous! Even without the text of the book, these pictures make me laugh. I even liked the little detail with the dance steps that are diagrammed on the inside covers. My son first noticed all the little things in the pictures, and I actually had to slow down reading the book because he kept wanting to take a closer look.