Review originally published on The Children's Book and Media Review

All of Penny’s classmates are participating in the Peabody Elementary School Talent Show, but Penny isn’t sure what she can do to participate. She can’t sing. She can’t dance. She makes a list of possible other talents, but they get crossed off her list one by one. She doesn’t give up, though. She decides that she is going to be a doggy fashion designer with the help of her dog, Jelly. When that doesn’t succeed either, she tries ballroom dancing, magic tricks, and many other things that don’t work. When she is about to give up and skip school so no one will know that she is untalentless, she and Jelly find a talent that will be exactly right for them.

This is a cute story about a girl’s friendship with her dog. Penny’s determination to find a talent is inspiring, and parents can talk to their children about how everyone has a talent even if it is harder to find what one person’s might be sometimes. Her attempts to find a talent are amusing and will make children laugh at the illustrations, and the end will assure readers that they can have their own talents too. This is a great story for children who want to learn more about talents or to read about the friendship that people and dogs can have. ( )

When the annual Peabody Elementary School Talent Show is announced, Penny immediately begins making a list of the acts that she could contribute, but everything she thinks of, from tuba playing to snake charming, ends in disaster. Just when she's ready to give up on the idea of participating in the talent show however, her best friend and canine companion Jelly shows her what they can do to make a real impression...

The first of two picture-books about this girl/dog duo, Penny & Jelly: The School Show pairs a sweetly engaging tale from author Maria Gianferrari with cute, colorful illustrations by Thyra Heder. This is apparently Gianferrari's debut, although Heder has two other titles under her belt. I enjoyed the story here, and thought that the text and artwork worked very well together. Recommended to anyone looking for picture-books featuring school and/or the loving bond between a child and a dog. ( )