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allmadhere106's review
4.0
Penguin wants to be a part of the Talent Show with their friends, but they don't think they have any talents. We see the other animals try to help, but Penguin can't seem to find anything they excel at. This book takes an unexpected turn in that Penguin doesn't realize that they have a talent that is a typically depicted Talent Show feature. Readers will enjoy the snarky illustrations and the range of talents.
For: penguin fans; readers looking for a book about not-often-discussed talents.
Possible red flags: feeling sad/left out.
For: penguin fans; readers looking for a book about not-often-discussed talents.
Possible red flags: feeling sad/left out.
leslie_d's review
4.0
The Big Annual Talent Show is coming up and Penguin can’t think of anything special talent he could perform. His friends try to help him with ideas, but really he just isn’t talented in the ways they are—eating giant fish whole, juggling appliances, or burping the whole alphabet. Even if he cannot be on stage, maybe he can help with the planning of the actual event. Eventually, Penguin does discover that he truly is gifted. What is cool is how it is a gift that doesn’t necessarily put him in the limelight, center stage, and adorned in medals, but he is appreciated nonetheless and by story’s end he’s properly celebrated (even if he did have to help plan that too!).
If I had been younger the sound would have been less a chuckle and more a giggle. The humor Alex Latimer brings to his penciled characters is ridiculously cute. His sequences, his spare reliance on text, works in a story form that should be using its visual medium as a narrator. The placement of image and text create the narrative in the subtle ways a well-designed picture book will; depending on the order, one understates the other. Some pages are just images who speak for themselves and I like the kind of participation that requires. It isn’t hard. It’s fun. And really, Latimer’s work here in Penguin’s Hidden Talent is organized in a way that should feel familiar to readers of comics.
The illustrations are uncluttered as the story, and as humorous—seemingly effortless all the way around. And the penguin isn’t creepy. Really, after Wallace and Gromit, they kinda freak me out. Penguin’s Hidden Talent is inspiring as well. It’s been awhile but can I manage to burp the whole alphabet like I used to? Penguin’s Hidden Talent is a good friendship story, too. Penguin wants to participate and finds a way to do so without begrudging his friends their skills. Sure, he is sad he doesn’t get a medal, but then it is his friends’ turn to support him. It is really sweet the gifts they think up because if you remember Penguin’s living room near the start, it shows how well his friends know him. In the end, it is they who recognize and reveal to Penguin what his talent is. They are able to help Penguin discover his hidden talent after all. I appreciate that not once does Latimer spell it out in words (narrative or dialog) the ‘everyone has their own abilities’ lesson, but leaves its evidence throughout—I mean, who else can pull themselves out of a magician’s hat? And who else could organize the kind of talent show that involves fireworks, jets, mice on stilts, a special appearance by the King of Norway, and top it all off with a musical performance by The Jolly Llamas!
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/book-penguins-hidden-talent/#
If I had been younger the sound would have been less a chuckle and more a giggle. The humor Alex Latimer brings to his penciled characters is ridiculously cute. His sequences, his spare reliance on text, works in a story form that should be using its visual medium as a narrator. The placement of image and text create the narrative in the subtle ways a well-designed picture book will; depending on the order, one understates the other. Some pages are just images who speak for themselves and I like the kind of participation that requires. It isn’t hard. It’s fun. And really, Latimer’s work here in Penguin’s Hidden Talent is organized in a way that should feel familiar to readers of comics.
The illustrations are uncluttered as the story, and as humorous—seemingly effortless all the way around. And the penguin isn’t creepy. Really, after Wallace and Gromit, they kinda freak me out. Penguin’s Hidden Talent is inspiring as well. It’s been awhile but can I manage to burp the whole alphabet like I used to? Penguin’s Hidden Talent is a good friendship story, too. Penguin wants to participate and finds a way to do so without begrudging his friends their skills. Sure, he is sad he doesn’t get a medal, but then it is his friends’ turn to support him. It is really sweet the gifts they think up because if you remember Penguin’s living room near the start, it shows how well his friends know him. In the end, it is they who recognize and reveal to Penguin what his talent is. They are able to help Penguin discover his hidden talent after all. I appreciate that not once does Latimer spell it out in words (narrative or dialog) the ‘everyone has their own abilities’ lesson, but leaves its evidence throughout—I mean, who else can pull themselves out of a magician’s hat? And who else could organize the kind of talent show that involves fireworks, jets, mice on stilts, a special appearance by the King of Norway, and top it all off with a musical performance by The Jolly Llamas!
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/book-penguins-hidden-talent/#
libraryjen's review
3.0
The message is that we all have talents, but it's delivery is just a little over the heads of the target audience. The story and pictures in this one are both nice, and it would work well with the 1st-4th graders, but not the prek-K crowd.
achenaille's review
5.0
Penguin doesn't seem to have a talent. All his friends do, but he can't figure his out. So instead of showing off a talent Penguin decides to help put together the talent show. He even gets the King of Norway to come and be the guest speaker. It is an awesome show. His friends all win prizes and he is sad because he doesn't. His friends decide to throw an awesome party for penguin because he put on a great talent show... they are terrible at throwing parties. That's when penguin realizes his talent! Event planning is an art and Penguin is the artist. This book made me laugh out loud and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
kaycerface's review
3.0
I would rate this one a 3.5. The illustrations are really cute and the message about finding your special talent is a good one. But some of the "funny" moments aren't that funny (although I have to say, "Thaks Pemgin" is pretty dang funny) and the message that comes across at the end is probably not what the author intended... Or maybe it is what he intended, but it kind of depresses me. If you're good at something, don't ever expect anyone to do it for you as a favor because they will suck at it and ruin everything.
elllie's review
4.0
I lol'd at this one a few times. Fun and a good message about talents that are not always recognized. It's a particularly children's librarian-y talent too, which is fun :)
booksandbosox's review against another edition
3.0
http://librarianosnark.blogspot.com/2013/08/picture-book-saturday_24.html
canada_matt's review
4.0
With the local talent show coming up, everyone is prepping for their great talents. Everyone, except Penguin, who is stuck organising the event as best he can. When things go off without a hitch, everyone is pleased. Seeking to thank Penguin for all his hard work, his friends decide to throw him a party. Thereafter, Penguin realises what his hidden talent might be. Neo felt that he, too, has some hidden talents, like putting out fires and being an acrobat. That's all news to me. Neo: Superhero of the Night.
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