JOEY FINDS HIS JUMP!

A ballerina leads young dancers in movements that complement a tale about a kangaroo who loses his jump in this picture book.

Joey the Kangaroo is friends with everyone at Funville Zoo, but something makes him sad: He can’t remember how to jump. He tries many things, but he just can’t figure it out. Finally, on a quest to remember how jumping works, he peeks into the windows of a theater where dancers practice jumps. Joey finally finds his jump and discovers a fellow jumper—a frog named Juniper—who becomes his pal. Joey’s story stands alone, especially accompanied by Tkachenko’s beautiful, realistic colored-pencil drawings. But the tale is further enhanced by small callout boxes on each page in the voice of White ballerina Konora (her stage name), who guides children in movements that match this story by Once Upon a Dance. She encourages youngsters to act out the emotions, poses, or actions in a scene, using conversational language to engage readers: “Imagine you’re Joey and don’t know how to jump. How would you figure out which body parts to use?” The author’s photographs of Konora’s poses are clear and easy to imitate, even for beginners. Her stretches, positions, and—of course—jumps are well enough contained for an indoor activity. Movers should pair this book with Dancing Shapes (2020), which also features Konora, to help them practice using their bodies to tell tales.

An innovative use of dance and storytelling for a fun, child-focused activity.