Hidden Feast

by Martha Hamilton, Mitch Weiss, Don Tate (Illustrator)

When the barnyard animals are invited to a party by their neighbors, they dress in their Sunday best and set off for a day of merriment. But when dinnertime arrives, the famished animals are perplexed to find a simple meal of cornbread. Most of them are polite but Rooster turns his beak up in disgust and rudely leaves the party, missing the treasures hidden for the guests. The surprising twist at the end of the story explains why, ever since, Rooster scratches in the dirt. Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss capture the rhythms and idioms of this rural Southern tale, and Don Tate's whimsical acrylics serve up a regular hoedown of fun.

100 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2006

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss are a husband-and-wife team, also known as “Beauty and the Beast Storytellers,” who have traveled the world since 1980 sharing their passion for the art of storytelling. They have co-authored several books and recordings that have won numerous awards including Irma Simonton Black and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature (awarded by Bank Street College of Education), Parents’ Choice, National Parenting Publications Awards, and Storytelling World. Their Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom, used in the teaching of storytelling from elementary schools to college courses, won an Anne Izard Storyteller's Choice Award and was praised by award committee members as "an infectiously enthusiastic book on the methods and merits of teaching storytelling to children . . . imaginative, inspiring, easy to read, and tremendously engaging . . . a terrific book that will be a classic for years to come."

Mitch and Martha’s story collections include world tales that they have retold in a conversational manner so that children can easily understand and retell them. Parents and teachers will find a wealth of information on how to get children excited about reading, telling world tales, and making up their own stories at Mitch and Martha’s Web site: http://www.beautyandthebeaststorytell...

Reviews

[Shikara Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was another one I pulled off the library shelf just because it had barnyard animals on it. My four year old is not hard to please =) This tale is of a group of barnyard animals that get invited to a party by their friends at a neighboring farm. The animals are excited and have a great time at the fiesta dancing, playing games, and enjoying one another's company-that is until dinner and they are served a big ole plain bowl of cornbread. Not all the animals respond well to such a lackluster meal and end up missing out on a hidden treat. Text-To-Teaching Connection: This story is a wonderful example of what being patient and kind can get you. I would break the class up in small groups with instructions to make a small play about what COULD have been done differently in that situation. This makes room for conversation about feelings and dealing with negative emotions and conflict when they arise.

[Jesa Burgoyne · Rating 5 out of 5]

May’s Wheel of TBR
Listen to a audiobook.

[Darlena Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will definitely share this story with the kindergartners at my school. They will really like all the animal behavior. The drawings are GREAT!