“Hello, friends! Our book today is EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY ELLA, written by Amber Hendricks, and illustrated by Luciana Navarro Powell, a fantastic story of kindness. Ella has an issue. Everyone she knows is talented at something: her sister Carmen is a graceful dancer, her cousin Kenji is a virtuoso pianist, her best friend Maria is a wizard at baking, and so on. In fact, it seems that everyone at Ella’s school is brilliantly talented at something... except for Ella. So when the school talent show is announced, Ella is excited to enter... but clueless as to what her talent will be. All week, she attempts different routines - ribbon dancing, juggling, knitting - but to no avail. Still, she can be there to support her friends, who often run into problems with their own performances that Ella is quick to assist with or solve. At last, the day of the big talent show arrives, and Ella eagerly watches all her friends perform from the audience. Yet, thanks to her grateful pals, Ella may still get her moment in the spotlight, and find that she’s extraordinarily talented after all. Lovely. This sweet tale has a great message for little ones: we can’t all be great at everything, and sometimes a hobby or sport or artistic pursuit doesn’t work out. What we can all do, however, regardless of innate ability, is exercise ‘ordinary’ talents: being kind, helpful, and generous with our time and resources. In fact, one of Ella’s most inspiring qualities is that she shows no jealousy or spite towards her peers, even as she struggles; they are her friends, and she wants them to succeed. It’s great modeling for young readers, showing that no matter what our individual talents are, we are all capable of being good to one another. The charming and diverse illustrations add to the warm tone, and the length is perfect for a storytime - JJ loved it. An earnest tale with a timeless lesson, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved!”
INSIDE
Extraordinary Ordinary Ella
Ella is extraordinary. Extraordinarily ordinary, that is. Not graceful like Carmen or musical like Kenji, Ella is determined to prove herself at the school talent show. But when every attempt to find a talent falls flat and her own ordinary acts of kindness steal the show, Ella discovers just how extraordinary ordinary can be!
retail your price $17.99
Extraordinary Ordinary Ella
Ella is extraordinary. Extraordinarily ordinary, that is. Not graceful like Carmen or musical like Kenji, Ella is determined to prove herself at the school talent show. But when every attempt to find a talent falls flat and her own ordinary acts of kindness steal the show, Ella discovers just how extraordinary ordinary can be!
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Complete Series of 1: your price $17.99
“(Ages 5 and up) While all of Ella’s friends have something they are good at, Ella fears she doesn’t have any talents. While preparing for the school talent show, however, Ella provides several random acts of kindness to her friends and discovers that by just being herself she is in fact quite extraordinary. I simply adore this book! Ella is a relatable character and the simple text paired with engaging illustrations make this a good choice for a classroom read aloud or one-on-one sharing. The message that everyone has self-worth and that kindness is something to be celebrated is powerful without being overly didactic. ”—Rosemary D'Urso
“Ella is extraordinary ordinary. She is not graceful dancer like her sister, nor is she musical like her cousin. Everyone at her school seems to have a special talent except for her. Nevertheless, Ella is determined to do well at the school talent show. She tries and tries, but all her attempts to find a talent end in disaster. Or do they? Could Ella’s failed attempts to find a talent undercover the gift that makes her truly extraordinary? From the very first page, you find yourself rooting for Ella. Amber and Luciana have created such relatable scenes – sometimes, however hard you try, you just can’t master something. I loved the way the three opening spreads show Ella side-by-side, trying her best but coming up short. It is through Luciana’s illustrations that we, the reader, begin to see that while Ella may not be mastering the activities, each time she is showing kindness to others. The Verdict: There couldn’t be a more important moment in history to read this book. I came across Extraordinary Ordinary Ella via my call-out to showcase books by authors who had to cancel their publication events due to the global pandemic. We are living in a time where even the smallest acts of kindness, however ordinary they may seem, can have an extraordinary impact. We all need to find our inner-Ella! This is my first top pick for 2020! ”—Rachael Davis
“Make kindness who you are and not only what you do. Make kindness an ordinary part of who you are. An extraordinary ordinary part, that is! Watch the video review: https://youtu.be/9Nh0maUTi0g ”