From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2 - Tommy knows that he will be the perfect Peter in his kindergarten class's production of
Peter Rabbit. After all, he knows how to tap dance, and everyone was impressed with his performance in the Thanksgiving play. However, Miss Bird casts him as Mopsy. Determined to be the best Mopsy he can be, he decides to take his tap teacher's suggestion and react to the other performers on stage. Ultimately, Tommy steals the show, and the boy who plays Peter loses his chance to be the star. After a bit of gentle urging from his mother, Tommy does the right thing and apologizes, but still can't wait to get onstage once again. Filled with warm colors and gentle humor, dePaola's illustrations are as impressive as always. The characters' emotions are clearly conveyed through the arch of an eyebrow or the angle of a line-drawn mouth. Through both words and pictures, the artist sets the stage for a fun story that kids will love, and a good lesson about sharing the limelight.
- Kelley Rae Unger, Peabody Institute, MA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From Booklist
PreS-Gr. 2. Tommy hopes for the lead role in his kindergarten class production of
Peter Rabbit, but his teacher assigns him to play Mopsy, who has no lines. Tommy makes the most of what he has, though, reacting (actually, overreacting) to every move by Peter Rabbit and stealing the show. The audience cheers him, but Tommy's mother sets him straight, and he later apologizes to his classmate and his teacher. Children will empathize with Tommy all the way, from ambition to temptation to reconciliation. The gently delivered lesson at the end does not dampen the fun of watching this aspiring thespian get carried away when he hears the audience respond to his onstage antics. The classroom milieu will look familiar to children despite the differences in dress that indicate an earlier era. With its warm palette, rounded shapes, and clarity of expression, dePaola's signature style makes Tommy's world an inviting place to visit.
Carolyn PhelanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
See all Editorial Reviews