September 6, 2021
An ode to dancing grandmothers from a range of backgrounds, this picture book celebrates the fun that Nana creates, whether she’s shake-a-shaking, shimmying, or doing the salsa. Yolen and her first grandchild, Stemple-Piatt, who both trained in ballet from a young age, join forces for this dance-centered narrative. In rhyming text, the authors highlight a variety of steps through Nanas who have seemingly professional dancing backgrounds: “She says that once—// brush, scuff, and slap—/ she crossed the stage/ with a tap-tap-tap.” Anonymous first-person narrators describe how Nana dances with them, guided by a light refrain: “When Nana dances— then whoa—Nana dances. Oh, how Nana dances with me.” Doodle-adjacent art outlined in fine black lines by Burris emphasize movement and simple expressions, showcasing mostly physically thin Nana-and-grandchild pairings of varying ability, age, and skin tone. A cadenced celebration of grandparent-grandchild relationships. Ages 4–8.
September 17, 2021
PreS-This atypical celebration of the grandmother-grandchild relationship spotlights nanas who dance. For these preschoolers, spending time with a grandmother is so much more rewarding when "Nana dances with me." Latinx, Asian, Black, and white grandmothers mambo, shimmy, and tap-tap-tap while gardening, walking down the street, doing laundry, and even spending time in the rain. Readers can strut and jive along with the rhyming text: "She says that once-/brush, scuff, and slap-/she crossed the stage/with a tap-tap-tap." Easy to read and fun to say, these words aren't confined to dance-the human spirit is infectious when talents are shared with others. Black-outlined digital illustrations convey fluid motion and countenances with minimal effort. Readers can almost hear the laughter emitting from these delightful pages. While it is clear that these characters have better than average dancing skills, the relatability is undeniable. The universal lesson here is relationship-building through a zest for life. VERDICT This is a showstopper for all ages. Highly recommended as a jovial, offbeat approach to a universal human activity.-Richelle Rose, Kenton County P.L., KY
Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 The grandmas in this buoyant picture book love to dance (whether it's tap, ballet, or the bunny hop), and their grandchildren love to join the fun. Written in rhyme by Yolen and her granddaughter, the verses create rhythms for the dancers in the illustrations. Viewers will be swept along from one double-page spread to the next, absorbing the sound and the sense of lines such as, "She does East Coast swing / and a buck and wing / and her salsa makes the rafters sing," or "the best is when she dances, / most fun is when she dances, / I love when Nana dances with ME!" The colorful, jaunty illustrations feature four ethnically and culturally diverse women alternating as Nana, while the first-person text expresses their grandchildren's thoughts and feelings. The depiction of grandparents has become less stereotypical over the years, and Burris portrays the grandmas here as fit, active women who take joy in dancing and in sharing the fun. A lively appreciation of dance as it raises the spirits and binds generations together.
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