BECAUSE...

A little red-headed boy is embarrassed by his grandma every day of the week. She leapfrogs, rolls over like a dog, slides, cartwheels, swings, gallops and finally flies through the air. Why? Because, as she exuberantly proclaims, “I-am-a-dancer!” Baryshnikov’s narrator is a keen observer of his grandmother’s behavior and the reactions of their neighbors. Readers realize that he truly loves her and admires her unabashed embrace of movement. Radunsky’s grandma is zaftig but graceful and stylish; her boater hat remains rakishly in place. Conversations between grandma and the friendly neighbors of their street, including a variety of dogs and cats, are displayed in a handwritten font complementing the playful mood of the story from the curtained title page to the joyful finale. A promising debut as a picture-book author for the famous star of ballet and dance. Radunsky’s trademark offbeat artistry makes him a perfect partner in this charming pas de deux. (Picture book. 4- 7)