Synopsis
Lenore ignores the occasional sideways glances coming from coworkers who think she is a nerd and concentrates on making her dream come true by training her houseful of talented birds to make their Hollywood debut.
Reviews
Grade 1-3-- Frumpy Lenore is the laughingstock of her office, but, like many outsiders or misfits in literature, she has her secrets. She is training her apartment full of birds to sing, dance, and do tricks. When they are ready, Lenore quits her job and spends all day getting ready for their big debut on ``Amateur Hour.'' The act is a hit; Lenore and her feathered friends become famous. The former officemates admire her from afar and claim that they always knew she would be a star. She always knew it, too. While ``believe in yourself'' and the triumph of the nerd are laudable themes, their handling here seems oddly removed from the world of children. The all-white adult characters in the office, television studios, and theaters do not reflect today's society. The humorous colored-pencil and watercolor illustrations depict recognizable species of birds and the quirky Lenore in her 1950's batwing glasses, but they can't make this tale fly. --Susan Hepler, Alexandria City Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Perserverance really pays off for the heroine of this madcap picture book. Lenore isn't concerned that her office co-workers think she's a nerd, for it's her secret dream--to make it big with her performing birds--that keeps Lenore going. She arrives home each evening loaded down with worms, grasshoppers, day-old bread and "a few dozen cod" to feed the myriad feathered friends who share her apartment. Then Lenore and the accomplished avians practice the theatrical routines that eventually will make them famous. Pearson's snappy text skillfully holds the reader's attention as Lenore's double life unfolds. Carlson delivers appropriately zany flamingos, parrots and pelicans decked out in everything from tutus to top hats. Though the office setting and "don't lose sight of your dream" theme may limit the appeal for younger readers, children will flock to the illustrations' sense of frivolity in this high-flying tale that more than fills the bill. Ages 5-up.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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