From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2—Every year, the Finch family attends the State Fair. Though his parents and sister consistently bring home ribbons for their talents, Frederick's loud voice always stops him from doing well in the contests he enters, from turkey calling to checkers, and he has yet to be a winner. In springtime, when the competitions are announced, he takes his mother's advice to try something new and sews a brightly patterned patchwork shirt to enter in the Boys' Fashion Fair. When he drops off his garment, he is disappointed to discover that the other submissions are much more sedate. Then he happens upon a brand-new event—a Mom-Hollering Contest—and is awarded first prize for his Ferris-wheel-rattling yells. His day is complete when he also receives a blue ribbon for "Loudest Shirt." As in Sophie Laguna's
Too Loud Lily (Scholastic, 2004) and Alexis O'Neill's
Loud Emily (Aladdin, 2001), this title uses humor to illustrate how even an unusual and often-considered-negative talent can be useful. Frederick is a likable character who perseveres and continually tries to succeed. The watercolor-and-ink illustrations humorously depict the boy's trials without giving away the surprise ending.—
Lynne Mattern, Robert Seaman School, Jericho, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Frederick loves the state fair, and he enters all the contests, even though he never wins a prize. “I’m loud, but I stink,” he realizes, whether the contest is turkey calling, checkers, yodeling, or the Boys’ Fashion Fair. Predictably (and happily), he finds the contest just right for him. Tilley’s bright, cartoon-style ink-and-watercolor pictures ably capture the rural fair excitement, the characters, animals, foods, and fun; the cover, showing Frederick yelling with a huge, open mouth, is particularly great. Kids will feel for the boy who tests himself with high hopes every day, shouts too loud, and gets disappointed—but finds his place. Preschool-Grade 2. --Hazel Rochman
