Sparkles, No Sparkles

by Shannon McNeill

Overview

Adorable animals go for a glittering night at the theater in this hilarious picture book, a perfect read-aloud tale for very young readers.

A frog has no sparkle.

A poodle has no sparkle.

A pigeon has no sparkle.

Not to worry! A cape has sparkle, a crown has sparkle and boots have sparkle.

Some wily animals decide to hit the stage, leaving the actors without costumes. After the animals get their moment in the spotlight, chaos ensues . . . but luckily there are some chicks with sparkle to save the day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735270404
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	03/12/2024
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	23 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Shannon McNeill is a Canadian author-illustrator living in San Diego, California. Her favorite kinds of sparkles include city lights, frosty mornings, hummingbird bellies and poppy petals in the sun. Glitter is tricky. But sequins are fully appreciated. This is her second book for Tundra.

Editorial Reviews

02/05/2024

Lacking sparkly garb in which to enter a theater, a frog, poodle, and pigeon, “sneak,” “snatch,” and “pluck” a costume from one of the building’s dressing room windows, and head “under the rope. Off to the show!” When a sparkling flamingo and zebra also sweep in, they offer the theater’s young human usher a bit of bling and accompany the child onto the stage. “Spinning, dipping, fringes swishing,” the animals and usher steal the spotlight until the real performer arrives to retrieve their wardrobe, ejecting the would-be entertainers, now bereft of sparkles, into the dark. Fortunately, the arrival of a glitzy chicken brings a luminous rooftop surprise for all. Minimalist text and raucous illustrations propel the madcap narrative; white and gold shimmer against saturated purples and pinks and gray-tinted backgrounds, adding a melodramatic aura to the unapologetically silly tale. Human characters are portrayed with various skin tones. Ages 3–7. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR Sparkles, No Sparkles:

"[An] unapologetically silly tale." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

03/01/2024

PreS-K—In this companion to Wheels, No Wheels, a sparkly crown, cape, and pair of boots provide the perfect cover for a ragtag group of animals to sneak into a theater and give a very unexpected performance. The stars of this picture book are its short, direct sentences and its adorable, cartoony, and detailed illustrations. Unfortunately, the plot is confusing. Most picture books gather strength as text and art complement and amplify each other; here, neither pulls its weight. The book begins by highlighting the lack of sparkles of a pigeon, poodle, and toad; then it cuts to them stealing sparkly items and sneaking into the theater. There is no explanation for why they are sneaking in or why they stole the items. A small usher is also lacking sparkle; a taller usher admits a sparkly flamingo and zebra. From context, it seems sparkles are necessary to enter the theater, but all of it presents a barrier to understanding for the book's target age group, most of whom aren't aware of—and may not care about—the aspirational rule of being dressed for the occasion or even "on the list." Since the characters' motivation is never clearly established, the events of the story feel disjointed. VERDICT The illustrations are fun, but the lost opportunities are palpable. Not recommended.—Maria Bohan

School Library Journal

2023-12-16
A trio of mischief-makers purloin sparkles.

In order to sneak into a stage show, a toad, a poodle, and a pigeon help themselves to a cape, a crown, and a pair of boots, respectively; each item gleams brightly. The critters adorn themselves and hide under the cape. A pint-sized usher chastens them for stealing, but they brush him off, and he frowns as they breeze on by. His uniform lacks luster. Next thing he knows, he’s being carried aloft into the theater by some other sparkly animals, and—whoa!—he’s suddenly bedecked, too, and joins the original trio onstage. But what’s this? The actual entertainer shows up, angry at the theft of the sparkly costume—and the erstwhile performers are unceremoniously escorted out the theater’s back door, leaving their flashy gear behind. They encounter a chicken who’s brandishing two sparkly wands that create fireworks, and in the end, “everyone has sparkles.” This silly, essentially plotless story, expressed in passable verse, doesn’t have much point or humor and will be appreciated most by kids who really dig sparkles. The colorful, lively illustrations, created with gouache, graphite powder, and cut paper, feature expressive characters and sparkle just a bit. Some imaginative typography also adds a few touches of creative dazzle. The young usher is light-skinned; the performer is brown-skinned.

Not a lot in the way of sparkle here. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews