Debut author, Valerie Bolling, teams up with experienced illustrator, Maine Diaz, in this just-released and vibrant picture book about international dances. (Be sure to check out my author interview with Valerie, coming out on Wednesday, March 11th, for some great insights and a chance to win a free picture book or query letter critique.)
As the Publisher’s Description says, this picture book “showcases dances from all over the world, with rhythmic prose that encourages readers to tap, spin, and boogie along.”
Bolling’s sparse rhyming text (under 70 words) is rhythmic and fun. Each spread highlights a different kind of dance with it’s own character and rhythm reflected in Bolling’s word choices. At the end, an illustrated spread of back matter gives a little more detail about each kind of dance – just enough to keep kids interested and teach them something new. As you can tell from the cover, Diaz’s illustrations are lively, colorful, and fun. She portrays a diverse group of children dancing joyfully. Together, the text and illustrations create the feeling of attending a party – a happy celebration of life and diversity that exudes movement and energy.
*I was provided with a free PDF copy of this picture book in exchange for my honest review.
When I first heard about this book, I had no idea it had such wonderfully sparse text. Such a brilliant way to introduce dance and culture!
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