QUEEN OF THE SCENE
by Queen Latifah & illustrated by Frank Morrison
A little girl demonstrates her confidence and her mad skills on the playground. The little girl, in a jumper over jeans and big bright tennis shoes, twirls a basketball on one finger while working her hula hoop, and excels at stickball, tennis, making sand castles and every other imaginable playground activity. The other kids look on in amazement or compete against her unsuccessfully as she dashes from sport to sport, rapping about her skill and showing off. Morrison’s illustrations burst with originality, vibrancy and humor. Latifah’s ode to self-esteem benefits greatly from the companion CD, but the minimal text, with a dashed-off feel and sometimes awkward rhymes, will probably leave the reader wanting more. (Picture book. 3-7)