Friday, June 24, 2016

Ella's Got Talent by Sheila Dinsmore -- OPTIONAL

Dinsmore, Sheila Ella's Got Talent (Ella the Elephant). PICTURE BOOK. Penguin Young Readers Group, 2013. $3.99. Content: G.

Ella's class is participating in a talent show, but Ella has no idea what her talent might be. When her teacher asks her to help introduce the other acts, however, she finds out exactly what she's best at.

This book, which is based on an episode of a television show, is lacking in depth. In many places, details which (I assume) were shown in the original video are summarized for the book version. And while Ella's magic hat may be important for the show, in the book it felt extraneous, like an overly-convenient plot device. The premise itself is not particularly creative, although that can be overcome by a strong story and characters. That did not happen here, unfortunately. Perhaps fans of the show will love this retelling, but a general audience is not likely to connect very strongly.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) -- OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Caryn

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