EVERYBODY does a little something...Penguin's Hidden Talent by Alex Latimer

Hi there!

Welcome back to the site that aims to please both you AND me (it IS my site after all…hehe)…Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers.  (For those that might recognize the post title, yes...it came from a song; obviously no copyright infringement intended...and I expect no judging on your part. I like musicals...so? ^_-)

Quick reminder…there are still TWO contests running right now on the site that are as different as can be but EXCITING nonetheless. One gives you a chance to venture back to Treasure Island in a brand new adventure…and the other deals with some heavy hitting issues in a YA package that will leave you tied in knots.  Can’t lose either way you go, but why choose when you can SO enter BOTH?!  Just click on the links embedded herein after today’s post and you’ll be whisked away to the bookish contest goodness.  Now, speaking of today’s post…

We’ve already greeted the day with a COVER REVEAL that is certain to land yet another title on many a YA lit fans wish list….now we’re about to step back to the land of Children’s Fiction where storybooks RULE and picture-less works are reserved for another day.  It’s a newly released title (just this month in fact!) brought to us by the wonderful folks over at Peachtree Publishers (Hi, Emily!) from an author whose building a reputation in the right direction both story wise and illustration wise.  Without further ado, today’s book of choice is…

Penguin’s Hidden Talent

By

Alex Latimer

From the author’s site…

Basically it’s about a penguin who wants to enter a talent show - but can’t figure out what he’s good at. After trying a range of skills - including appliance juggling and alphabet burping, he happens on an awesome skill of his own.

Yes, I went with the author’s site description there as opposed to the publisher simply because I didn’t want to give TOO much away…easily done with a storybook. 

So, first things first….the cover.  TOO adorable, right?  I mean the critters depicted along with the “talents” they are practicing are simplistic in design and yet have a life of their own.  I can smell the fish, feel the sizzle of magic, duck from the potentially falling objects in the juggling act, and hold my nose from the suspicious “breeze” headed my way.  In the forefront is our little penguin, all lost in thought and confused.  Poor Penguin…don’t you just want to give him a hug?  (Go ahead…no ones looking!)  Don’t distress dear readers, he comes into his own but not before we are treated to a visual smorgasbord of illustrations that are sure to have little ones in stitches and bigger ones yucking it up too.  (I know I was.  ^_^)  Now for that story…

Short and sweet but memorable!  That’s how I would summarize, if I were one to just cut to the chase….but I’m not, so prepare for a brief ramble on Why I Think This Book Rocks.  *ahem*  The variety of characters we meet is vast for such a short story, yet all of them receive ample time in the spotlight.  The talents on display are wide ranging and certainly not your run of the mill piano playing skills and yet each animal makes it their own…in often humorous ways.  The talent Penguin discovers within himself by book’s end is a delightfully unexpected find that will not only inspire youngsters trending along the same route but ALSO make this work as the PERFECT gift for many in a particular field…(SPOILER ALERT:  Advertising and Promotions).  Really, I can think of PLENTY of friends that this would make an adorable nod to their talent AND their trade….sorta like graduates getting Oh the Places You’ll Go. 

In conclusion, another adventure through the work of a talented author and illustrator saturated with the feel good message of finding ones TRUE self that I count myself lucky to have taken.  If you are looking for a little boost of confidence while on the road to self discovery, this is the book for you. If you are looking for a reminder that EVERYONE has a talent, some are just harder to discover than others; this is the book for you.  If you are simply looking for a good story with smile inducing artwork to wile away the hours either by yourself or with a younger audience, this is STILL the book for you.  After all, maybe you’ll find out YOUR talented at juggling unusual objects like Bear, or belching the alphabet like Fox…then again, maybe not, but at least it will get you moving in the right direction to discovering what golden aspects of you you bring to the world…and what could be better than that?

Review copy received courtesy of Emily at Peachtree Publishers.  (THANKS!)  For more information on this title as well as their complete catalog of goodness, feel free to seek them out online, check out their blog, like them on Facebook, or follow along on Twitter.  Anxious to explore more of author Alex Latimer’s world?  Visit his official site, or see what the topic of discussion is over at his blog.  Oh and one more thing…if his name looks/sounds familiar, it should!  He’s also the mind behind The Boy Who Cried Ninja…another title featured here at the site.  Feel free to click on over for a quick peek should your curiosity get the better of you.

Until next time…happy reading!