Giraffes Can't Dance
by Giles Andreae
from Orchard
Gerald the giraffe doesn't really have delusions of grandeur. He just wants to dance. But his knees are crooked and his legs are thin, and all the other animals mock him when he approaches the dance floor at the annual Jungle Dance. "Hey, look at clumsy Gerald," they sneer. "Oh, Gerald, you're so weird." Poor Gerald slinks away as the chimps cha-cha, rhinos rock 'n' roll, and warthogs waltz. But an encouraging word from an unlikely source shows this glum giraffe that those who are different "just need a different song," and soon he is prancing and sashaying and boogying to moon music (with a cricket accompanist). In the vein of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Gerald's fickle "friends" quickly decide he's worthy of their attention again.
With this rhyming, poignant (in a cartoonish way) tale, Giles Andreae, author of Rumble in the Jungle, and numerous other picture books, shows insecure young readers that everyone can be wonderful, even those that march to the beat of a different cricket. The rhymes are somewhat awkward, but the bold, bright watercolors by Guy Parker-Rees will invite readers to kick up their heels and find their own internal harmony. (Ages 3 to 6) --Emilie Coulter
Gerald is a giraffe who simply can¹t dance. Try as he may, his long, spindly legs buckle whenever he starts to boogie. Every year he dreads going to the Great jungle Dance, until one night he finds his own special music.
My Mama Had A Dancing Heart (Orchard Paperbacks)
by Libba Gray
from Scholastic
Oliver Button Is a Sissy
by Tomie dePaola
from Voyager Books
Angelina Ballerina
by Katharine Holabird
from Viking Juvenile
Angelina Ballerina is the picture book that first introduced Angelina to her adoring fans. This tiny dancer has proved to have enormous staying power—she has been a hugely popular character for more than twenty years. And Angelina's popularity only continues to grow. She is even the spokescharacter for National Dance Week.With Katharine Holabird's lively writing and Helen Craig's charming illustrations, the original story about the feisty little mouse who wants nothing more than to dance still keeps young ballerinas leaping with delight.
The Jellybeans and the Big Dance
by Laura Numeroff
from Abrams Books for Young Readers
Laura Numeroff, Nate Evans, and Lynn Munsinger bring readers a fun new group of sweet friends.
Just as jellybeans are different colors and flavors, each character in this heartwarming friendship story has a personality and pizzazz that young readers will love.
Emily loves to dance and can’t wait to meet the other girls in her class, who are sure to be just like her. But instead she meets Nicole, a tomboy who would rather be playing soccer; Bitsy, who loves arts and crafts; and Anna, a shy bookworm who has no interest at all in dancing. Realizing that they have to work together to make their dance recital a success, the girls learn to love each other’s differences and strengths as they band together and name their group the Jellybeans!
The latest picture book by beloved bestselling authors Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans is as sweet as sugar and features four adorable characters that all children will relate to. With joyful illustrations by Lynn Munsinger that dance off the page, The Jellybeans and the Big Dance will inspire readers to dance, prance, and boogie-woogie to the beat of their own drum.
Strawberry Shortcake's Ballet Recital: Sticker Stories (Strawberry Shortcake)
from Grosset & Dunlap
Strawberry Shortcake is starring in her berry first ballet recital! Help her practice her steps, decorate the sets, put on her beautiful costume, and make her debut as a prima ballerina. A berry special party to celebrate the show is the perfect end to a perfect night.
A Company of Swans
by Eva Ibbotson
from Puffin
For nineteen-year-old Harriet Morton, life in 1912 Cambridge is as dry and dull as a biscuit. Her stuffy father and her opressive aunt Louisa allow her only one outlet: ballet. When a Russian ballet master comes to class searching for dancers to fill the corps of his ballet company before their South American tour, Harriet’s world changes. Defying her father’s wishes and narrowly escaping the clutches of the man who wishes to marry her, Harriet sneaks off to join the ballet on their journey to the Amazon. There, in the wild, lush jungle, they perform Swan Lake in grand opera houses for the wealthy and culture-deprived rubber barons, and Harriet meets Rom Verney, the handsome and mysterious British exile who owns the most ornate opera house. Utterly enchanted by both the exotic surroundings and by Rom’s affections, Harriet is swept away by her new life, completely unaware that her father and would-be finacé have begun to track her down. . . .
Angelina's Ballet Class (Angelina Ballerina)
by Katharine Holabird
from Grosset & Dunlap
Come along as Angelina spins, twirls, and dances her way through Miss Lilly's ballet class. With instructions for each step, little girls can learn to dance just like Angelina! Cardstock pages and ribbons are included to make your own flip book to make Angelina dance!
The Animal Boogie (Sing Along With Fred Penner) (Sing Along With Fred Penner)
by Debbie Harter
from Barefoot Books
A tale that's bright, wacky and fun gets children up and moving as they shake, shimmy and boggie-woogie-oogie with animals from the Indian jungle. Book with CD.
Baby Danced the Polka (Ala Notable Children's Books. Younger Readers (Awards))
by Karen Beaumont
from Dial
ItÂ’s nap time on the farm, but one un-sleepy baby has a different plan...
Will Baby do the cha-cha? Will Mama flip her wig?
Will Baby dance the polka with a polka-dotted pig?
Perfect fun for young children who like lively stories, this happy tale invites all to join in and dance along. Read, sing, lift the flaps, do a little jig-and-twirl! ItÂ’s a toe-tappinÂ’, no-nappinÂ’ good time when baby starts to boogie.
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