Chicken Dance by Tammi Sauer, illus. by Dan Santat
Those of you who've read my blog for a while have probably figured out that I've known Tammi Sauer for several years now - first virtually, and then (at the LA SCBWI in 2007) in person. And those of you with particularly acute memories may recall that I once interviewed Dan Santat as part of a Robert's Snow initiative. So it's no secret that I already liked and admired Tammi and Dan before I read their recent release, CHICKEN DANCE.
CHICKEN DANCE tells the story of Marge and Lola, two hens with a hankering to see Elvis Poultry in concert. In order to get tickets, they'll need to win the talent show in the barn. The good news? There really aren't that many competing acts. The bad news? The ducks are in it to win it - and they have a history of winning big. Marge and Lola try (and fail) at a number of talents, each more ambitious than the last - bowling (hard to do without opposable thumbs), flying, tight-rope walking and more.
Will Marge and Lola's dance routine score a win? Will they get to see Elvis Poultry? I'm not telling. But I will say that their dance routine will leave you all shook up and wanting more.
You can check out Chicken Dance's Facebook page and, of course, bawk and roll along with the staff at Sterling Publishing:
Click to viewIn keeping with my new practice of divulging book sources, I will tell you that I purchased my copy with my very own dollars. And felt fortunate to track down a first printing, since it's already into at least its second printing. Between the humorous text and the artwork, I understand why.
Finally, a word about overall book design. This book has it going on. The front cover, while striking in a picture, is that much better in person, with its embossed and shiny gems stones and the raised studs within the lettering. The back cover looks a lot like an advertisement for an album (older readers will recall what these are - they were made of pressed vinyl and contained music on both sides, and were played via a recordplayer of some sort). The endpapers contain instructions for various dances using chicken prints instead of foot prints, and the author and illustrator photos are genius (you can see them - and other photos - here). The attention to detail is inspiring - and inspired.
