A clever mix of dance, drama, and storytelling.
A young dancer watches his baby brother summon a talented dragon in this movement-centered picture book.
Danny loves dancing. He’s excited to meet his new baby brother, Denny, hoping they can dance together. Unfortunately, the narrator relates, “it turns out babies can’t even stand! Why hadn’t someone explained this to Danny?!” Despite this setback, Danny likes to be with his cute sibling, and he’s practicing his own moves when Denny’s baby dance and talk summon a dragon. Kadessa is an excellent dance partner; she’s performed with many fantastic creatures. Soon, Danny looks forward to Kadessa’s visits so much that he’s willing to mimic Denny’s baby dance to summon the dragon himself—but mostly he waits to share the magic with his sibling. This simple story by Once Upon a Dance doesn’t deliver much conflict—Danny quickly overcomes his disappointment about Denny’s lack of movement skills—but it offers readers the idea of performing the tale. On each page, White ballerina Konora (her stage name) provides instructions, accompanied by uncredited photographs of the dancer, on how to create the poses in the illustrations. She shows how readers can mimic moving like a dragon, a troll, or a fairy. Willems’ oil pastel images, which cast Danny as a ballet dancer with brown skin and curly brown hair, embrace the tale’s fantasy and practical aspects. Some details, such as eye position, occasionally look slightly off, but these small missteps don’t undermine the whimsical story.
A clever mix of dance, drama, and storytelling.Pub Date: May 11, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-73-687509-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Once Upon A Dance
Review Posted Online: July 14, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre.
Ice princess Lina must navigate family and school in this early chapter read.
The family picnic is today. This is not a typical gathering, since Lina’s maternal relatives are a royal family of Windtamers who have power over the weather and live in castles floating on clouds. Lina herself is mixed race, with black hair and a tan complexion like her Asian-presenting mother’s; her Groundling father appears to be a white human. While making a grand entrance at the castle of her grandfather, the North Wind, she fails to successfully ride a gust of wind and crashes in front of her entire family. This prompts her stern grandfather to ask that Lina move in with him so he can teach her to control her powers. Desperate to avoid this, Lina and her friend Claudia, who is black, get Lina accepted at the Hilltop Science and Arts Academy. Lina’s parents allow her to go as long as she does lessons with grandpa on Saturdays. However, fitting in at a Groundling school is rough, especially when your powers start freak winter storms! With the story unfurling in diary format, bright-pink–highlighted grayscale illustrations help move the plot along. There are slight gaps in the storytelling and the pacing is occasionally uneven, but Lina is full of spunk and promotes self-acceptance.
A jam-packed opener sure to satisfy lovers of the princess genre. (Fantasy. 5-8)Pub Date: June 25, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-35393-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 26, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2019
Warm but underdone.
In this picture book from actor Gyllenhaal and his partner, Caruso, a child and his uncle bond on a fantastic journey.
Leo, an avid dancer, is dismayed when Uncle Mo visits—he’s in town for a “rubber band convention.” Illustrations show both with wavy brown hair and light tan skin. Not only does Leo think his uncle is rather dull, he’s also leery of Uncle Mo’s many rules. A rather abrupt narrative shift occurs when the pair inexplicably drive into another dimension. Here they encounter Great-Aunt Gloria (who is very tall and presents Black) and Uncle Munkle Carbunkle (who is very short and light-skinned), who guide them through the Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles. Unimpressed with Uncle Mo, Great-Aunt Gloria says he must take a quiz on “Auntieology and Uncleology.” After several wrong answers, Uncle Mo has a final chance at redemption: He must state his nephew’s favorite activity. When Leo springs into action to dance for his clueless uncle, a mishap leaves him mortified and un-bespectacled. Enter Uncle Mo to save the day by using a rubber band to secure Leo’s glasses. While Santat’s energetic illustrations do much to clarify the narrative, they can’t fully make up for the disjointed storytelling—it’s never clear why the two have entered this dimension or why Leo is suddenly so eager to help Uncle Mo. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Warm but underdone. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9781250776990
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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