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Pigmalion
by Glenda Leznoff, illustrated by Rachel Berman
" A standing ovation for Juliet-- a shy piglet en route to becoming a starlet in a George
Barnyard Shaw production of Pigmalion.. She is truly a "loverly" creation. Watching her blossom
on page and stage is a true delight. Applause for the talented Juliet -- and her equally talented
creators." -- Robert San Souci, author of The Talking Eggs and Cinderella Skeleton
K-Gr 2- Juliet loves to sing, act, and tap her little hooves off,
but she is so shy that when she is faced with an audience, she can't
utter a word.
While visiting her grandmother in the country, she tends the
garden and, in her spare time, dances the entire ballet of Swine Lake,
and
memorizes Shakespig's Ham-let and George Barnyard Shaw's
Pigmalion. One day, the little pig learns that the great director,
Monsieur
Phillipe le Cochon, is going to bring Pigmalion to the town
theater. She desperately wants to audition for the part of Eliza
Piglittle but hides
in the balcony watching as piglet after piglet auditions, all of
whom display a lack of passion and drama. Then the director hears an
enchanting voice reciting the lines from the balcony; Juliet
agrees to perform, but not until opening night, and she acts with
passion and
sparkle. The watercolor illustrations capture her fears as she
gazes longingly from the darkened balcony into the large theater and
her
exuberance when she is on stage. Rehearsing for a play without
the
main character is highly unlikely, but readers will cheer for the shy
Juliet
as she conquers her fears and surprises her peers with her hidden
talents. Children may not catch all of the puns and literary allusions,
but
they can appreciate the dramatic tension and the success of an
unlikely heroine.
-- School Library Journal August 2002
Glenda Leznoff makes "apologies to the great George
Bernard Shaw" before using the classic play to tell
another pig's story. When the famous French director
Monsieur Phillipe Le Cochon, rolls into town, to
direct "Pigmalion", Juliet knows this is her big
chance. She impresses Cochon at auditions, but hides
behind the stage during rehearsals, Cochon has faith
in Juliet and she rises to the occasion on opening
night, fulfilling the fate of her character, Eliza
Piglittle. Her knees shook but all the other pigs
cried "Bravo!" when the curtain fell. Piggy
illustrations by Rachel Berman. --BC Bookworld, Summer 2002
Pigmalion is the highly entertaining picturebook story by Glenda Leznoff of a shy little piglet named Juliet Hogsworth, who
is gifted at singing and dancing but whose timidity of the big and terrible stage threatens to prevent her from achieving her
dreams. A story of courage and finding inner strength, Pigmalion is both a comic tale and a lesson in the value of
self-confidence. Color illustrations by Rachel Berman in soft and gentle tones fill this engaging, strongly recommended
story for young readers. Midwest Book Review
Juliet the piglet knows she is destined for the stage,
but there's a problem: she suffers from stage fright.
Learning that the daching director, Monsieur Le
Cochon, is to direct a production of George barnyard
Shaw's "Pigmalion" in her small town, she attends
auditions for the role of Eliza Piglittle("Somewhere
in zis very rrroom is zee lucky piglet who will be my
star,"Le Cochon intones) but she cannot summon the
courage to try out. When the auditions are over, she
recites Eliza's lines from her hiding place in the
balcony and lands the part. In a disturbing twist for
a story about facing one's fears, Juliet too shy even
to appear at rehearsals, avoids the stage until
opening night-when she brings the house down. Newcomer
Berman refines screenwriter Leznoff's punchy story
line with deft gouaches, placing the tale somewhere in
the south of France and dressing Juliet and her
friends in Provencal skirts and shawls. Monsieur Le
Cochon sports Hollywood-issue sunglasses, a red cape
and beret, and Berman has special fun with the
lighting in the theatre scenes; they look like
Toulouse Lautrecs with pigs. Ages 4-8 --
Publisher's Weekly March 11, 2002 |
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