Author: Tammi Sauer
Illustrator: Dan Santat
Publisher: Sterling
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
ISBN: 10: 1402753667
For ages: 4-8
Type: Picture Book
About: There’s a whole lot of hoopla when hens Marge and Lola find a poster announcing The Final Doodle Doo and its grand prize to see none other than the cuck-a-doodle dooing crooner, Elvis Poultry, in Chicken Dance.
Eager to win, the ladies search for a sure-fire talent that they can perform in spite of the boastful crowing from their barnyard rivals, the ducks.
Marge and Lola finally take to the stage and strut their stuff striking iconic dance moves; winged interpretations of Madonna’s 'Vogue', 'Walk Like an Egyptian' and 'Staying Alive' stun the crowd but ultimately catch the King of 'Bawk and Roll’s' coveted attention.
Author Tammi Sauer humorously captures the fierce competition with fowl-humored jabs ("Get some floaties, chickens”) and throw back references to the DooWop pop phenomenon that ruffled the feathers of the 60s.
Dan Santat adds to the retro romp with mixed media illustrations framed in nostalgic browns and oranges complete with a star-studded cover that pays homage to the King.
Chicken Dance even includes chicken-scratch dance step variations on the inside cover for the footloose and fearless. Forget the embarrassing elbow flap stomp that strikes wedding receptions worldwide - Chicken Dance takes this classic shimmy out of the stuffy dance hall and puts it into the barnyard for an original and inspirationally funny read.
This review by Meghan Killeen - author, bloggist, reviewer. See The Ruby Winkle Review for more.