Stanley's Secret
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- £8.49
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- £8.49
Publisher Description
The award-winning author of Kitten and the Night Watchman is back with an inspiring and poignant picture book about a boy learning the self-confidence to fulfill his dream of dancing in front of his peers.
The only audience shy, quiet Stanley dances in front of is his pet mice, Squeaker and Nibbles. He also practices when he’s alone in empty classrooms or the gym when he helps the janitor after school, tap dancing shuffle, tippy-tap, tippy-tap. “Talent should be shared,” encourages Principal Reynolds. Can Stanley find the courage to perform in the school talent show?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Stanley was a quiet boy. When he attended birthday parties, he hid in the corner and read. When he gave a book report, he spoke softly." Quiet or not, Stanley dreams of tap-dancing on a big stage. But he doesn't tell anyone except his pet mice, Squeaker and Nibbles, and he dances only after hours in his school's empty rooms, while helping the janitor. Prose by Sullivan (Kitten and the Night Watchman) quickly establishes Stanley's private way ("At lunch, Stanley quietly ate his sandwich with mayonnaise, even though he'd said, ‘no toppings, please' "), while juxtaposing artwork by Manbeck (You Are Here) sizzles with energetically charged lines and chalky, saturated shades, portraying Stanley in vibrant orange hues. In a satisfying twist, a visit to the principal's office results in support, and a suggestion to sign up for the talent show: "Talent should be shared," the principal says. The text pays careful attention to the way Stanley addresses his nervousness ("With the talent show quickly approaching, Stanley mustered the courage to dance for a classmate") as he moves into his dream with grace. Ages 4–8.
