Books and Recordings
The Hidden Feast: A Folktale from the American South
a picture book illustrated by Don Tate
To download a shorter, simpler version that is appropriate for telling by school children at the elementary level, click here.
2006, August House Publishers (LittleFolk). Illustrated by Don Tate.
To download lesson plans and a Common Core Standards Checklist for this book from August House Publishers click here.
To watch a video of this book click here.
Book Reviews: The Hidden Feast
"An invitation to a party brings neighboring animals to visit and play Pin the Tail on the Donkey (Donkey really doesn't want to play that), Hide and Seek and Horseshoes using Horse's shoes. Singing and dancing follows, and then the barnyard animals sit down to dinner. When that turns out to be large pots of cornbread, Rooster rudely leaves, declaring cornbread to be his everyday fare. However, once he learns that a wonderful and varied feast was hidden in the cornbread, he sulks and is never again content to see only what is on top. That's why to this day, he scratches and scratches beneath the food he finds. Tate's lushly painted acrylics capture the animals at their silliest and rooster at his sulkiest. This mostly literary retelling is filled with contemporary cliches and incorporates the motifs and plot structure of the traditional African-American tale. Fun for telling or reading."
- Kirkus Reviews
"Barnyard animals learn a lesson about manners and passing judgments in this moral tale drawn from Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus stories. A cow, a chicken, and their friends are thrilled to attend a party at the neighboring farm. The event begins well, with games and entertainment. Then dinner is served, and the animals are disappointed by what appears to be a meal of cornbread. "I eat cornbread every day," scoffs Rooster before stalking off. The remaining animals, though, find a delicious meal beneath the cornbread crust, and Rooster learns to be more thoughtful. Children may have questions about the southern idioms and references, such as hambone (musical percussion played on the body), but the publisher's Web site offers cultural context (along with lesson plans), and the smooth text is well shaped for read-alouds, as are the bright, clearly arranged paintings of the expressive, whimsically outfitted animals. . . Suggest this for teachers seeking lighthearted material for character education units."
- Booklist
"This animated retelling of an old African-American tale is presented in terms young children will understand. Using foods and expressions common to the Southern United States, the authors describe a neighborhood party that includes games of Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Hide-and-Seek, and dancing the Hokey-Pokey. When a dinner of cornbread is served, most of the animals politely mask their disappointment at the seemingly meager meal, but rooster storms off in disgust. When he learns that treats were hidden under the cornbread, rooster begins his persistent scratching for food hoping to never miss the hidden feast again. The animals have a comical quality that children will enjoy. Most of the acrylic illustrations cover both pages. The angles and perspectives used give the pictures energy and the viewers a sense of being there. Use this book at the end of the year and make use of your students' extra energy. Add some music, roll back the carpet, and let the fun begin. If you're looking for some more academic connections, the publisher's Web site has a collection of extensions that include cooking, games, and seatwork. For farm units, this will be a great addition. An authors note explains the story's credentials."
- Library Media Connection
"The barnyard really swings in this Southern folktale first retold in print by Joel Chandler Harris, later by Julius Lester (The Last Tales of Uncle Remus, Dial 1994). Hamilton and Weiss add their own twists to the story of a farm full of animals invited to a party by their neighbors. Donning their Sunday best - Cow in her red polka-dot dress, Pig with his purple cap and striped umbrella - they prance off for an afternoon of games and dancing, including old favorites like "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" and the Hokey Pokey, happily "shaking it all about." When it is time for food, though, they cannot help being disappointed to see bowls of cornbread set before them; only Rooster is rude enough to complain, stalking off to home in a huff. Young listeners will be delighted to discover what Rooster missed and why he has always scratched so diligently for his food ever since. Painted in sharp-toned acrylics, the expressive faces of Tate's large, energetic animals project strong feelings from blissed-out to sulky. Southern idioms and Southern food provide local color . . . browsers can enjoy identifying the hearty Southern dishes temptingly pictured on the endpapers."
- Children's Literature - Barbara L. Talcroft
The barnyard animals are invited to a neighboring farm for a party. After fun and games, they sit down to dinner and are disappointed to see big bowls of cornbread. Most of the animals are polite, but Rooster leaves without a thank you or a goodbye. The animals are in for a big surprise--and when Rooster hears about it, we discover why chickens scratch the dirt as they eat. The Hidden Feast, with a surprise ending, is stuffed with Southern hospitality and idioms. Parents, educators and young readers will appreciate this story's African-American roots. I am a big fan of illustrator Don Tate. I always appreciate Mr. Tate's use of perspective (see Summer Sun Risin' and Black All Around). In The Hidden Feast, he does not disappoint. Whether we're looking Rooster in the eye or viewing the cornbread like a dog beneath the table begging for scraps, the illustrations bring this story to life.
- Young Adult (& Kids) Books Central - Kim Peek
"An invitation to a party brings neighboring animals to visit and play Pin the Tail on the Donkey (Donkey really doesn't want to play that), Hide and Seek and Horseshoes using Horse's shoes. Singing and dancing follows, and then the barnyard animals sit down to dinner. When that turns out to be large pots of cornbread, Rooster rudely leaves, declaring cornbread to be his everyday fare. However, once he learns that a wonderful and varied feast was hidden in the cornbread, he sulks and is never again content to see only what is on top. That's why to this day, he scratches and scratches beneath the food he finds. Tate's lushly painted acrylics capture the animals at their silliest and rooster at his sulkiest. This mostly literary retelling is filled with contemporary cliches and incorporates the motifs and plot structure of the traditional African-American tale. Fun for telling or reading."
This picture book emphasizes the need for good manners and the importance of looking deeper than what's on the surface. We rated it five [out of 5] hearts.
- Heartland Reviews