  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 03/01/2017 K-Gr 2—The fourth installment of the series shows a more tender side of friendship. Sandy is encouraging Andy to join her in the talent show, but Andy is uncertain as to what kind of talent he has to offer. Sandy seems to be able to do it all; she can juggle, tumble, and hula hoop, but Andy can't do any of those things. Sandy comes up with the idea that they dance. She tells Andy to "follow me," and the next few pages show Andy trying to do just that, with Sandy taking the lead. On the day of the talent show, Sandy gets stage fright, but Andy saves the day by making it seem like part of a comedic act, telling Sandy to "follow me." The subsequent wordless sequential panels bring readers into the humor of the moment, emphasizing that this is a story of two supportive friends who have each other's backs. DePaola's classic acrylic and colored pencil illustrations with rich colors and spare lines have plenty of action and facial expressions, giving necessary textual clues to emerging readers. VERDICT This title should have a welcome home in most beginning reader collections.—Danielle Jones, Multnomah County Library, OR - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 03/15/2017 The latest Andy & Sandy entry finds Sandy eager to enter the school talent show. Andy’s less convinced; he can’t juggle, tumble, Hula-Hoop, or dance. “You just have to practice,” Sandy insists, and so they do. But at the performance, Sandy develops severe stage fright, leaving poor Andy to sashay through their dance number almost solo, until he is finally able to persuade Sandy to follow his lead. The story reinforces the idea that different qualities (Sandy is confident, while Andy is more reserved) are often necessary for success in friendship and in life. Simple, predictable text combines with dePaola’s sunny, upbeat art to create an early reader that should have wide appeal. The wordless spreads of the dance itself are priceless, and would-be thespians will enjoy the informative endpapers. - Copyright 2017 Booklist. Loading...
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