The Hidden Feast: A folktale from the American South [Hardcover]

Martha Hamilton (Author), Mitch Weiss (Author), Don Tate (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

When the barnyard animals are invited to a party by their neighbors, they dress in their Sunday best and set off for a day of merriment. But when dinnertime arrives, the famished animals are perplexed to find a simple meal of cornbread. Most of the animals are polite but not Rooster who turns up his beak in disgust. Little did Rooster know that there is a surprise in the cornbread.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2-What might have been an engaging pourquoi story is instead tedious and anticlimactic. When the barnyard animals get invited to a party, they dress in their Sunday best and proceed to the neighboring farm. Rooster led the way, strutting and crowing. Duck waddled behind. Cow moseyed along in her own sweet time. Pig strolled under his umbrella to keep from getting a sunburn. Goat pranced about, thinking of the feast they were going to eat. Horse trotted along-¦ and on, and on, with everyone painstakingly accounted for. When they finally get to the party, it's more of the same, with half a dozen unremarkable party games exhaustively remarked upon. Eventually everyone sits down to eat, and most of the guests politely disguise their dismay at being presented with plain cornbread. But Rooster stalks off in a huff-and later learns that each loaf of bread was baked around a succulent meal. Since then Rooster can always be found scratching at the ground, hoping never to miss out again. The story does not have an arc so much as a slow, steep climb followed by a precipitous drop. Tate's beautifully laid-out illustrations are a delight; it is unfortunate that they did not have a better narrative.-Catherine Threadgill, Charleston County Public Library, SC
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. Barnyard animals learn a lesson about manners and passing judgments in this moral tale drawn from Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus stories. A cow, a chicken, and their friends are thrilled to attend a party at the neighboring farm. The event begins well, with games and entertainment. Then dinner is served, and the animals are disappointed by what appears to be a meal of cornbread. "I eat cornbread every day," scoffs Rooster before stalking off. The remaining animals, though, find a delicious meal beneath the cornbread crust, and Rooster learns to be more thoughtful. Children may have questions about the southern idioms and references, such as hambone (musical percussion played on the body), but the publisher's Web site offers cultural context (along with lesson plans), and the smooth text is well shaped for read-alouds, as are the bright, clearly arranged paintings of the expressive, whimsically outfitted animals. One quibble: the text focuses on vegetables, but one picture shows a pig tucking into what looks like a piece of bacon. Suggest this for teachers seeking lighthearted material for character education units. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 100 pages
• Publisher: August House (January 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874837588
• ISBN-13: 978-0874837582
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,002,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars We loved it!, June 26, 2010

By 

Texas - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hidden Feast: A folktale from the American South (Hardcover)

We heard this book at the Carver Library in Austin, TX. I thought it was a very cute tale and it had a wonderful message about manners.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A feast for the imagination!, March 2, 2008

By 

Margaret Lippert "Storyteller" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hidden Feast: A folktale from the American South (Hardcover)

Delightful farm animals romp through this story to the feast at the end--with it's own hidden secrets. Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss have added to their impressive array of tellable folk tale picture books and story collections with this delectable version of a story from the African-American tradition. Don Tate's whimsical illustrations "tastefully" complement the text.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Story with beautiful Illustrations, April 11, 2006

By 

New Dad - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Hidden Feast: A folktale from the American South (Hardcover)

My daughter loves this story and is entranced by the pictures. A fun tale with a lesson to teach gives something to both parent and child. The personalities of the animals are great and are sure to make any family smile (some may even remind you of your own family.) I highly recommend this book, an excellent story with great illustrations that is sure to become a modern classic.