It's LEAP DAY: Leap into LET'S DANCE!

Boyds Mills Press

LEAP DAY comes along only every four years, and a picture book celebration of dance and diversity is even more rare.
Whether you've got a yes-I'm ready-for-prime-time dance repertoire or you boogey at a cringe-worthy-on-the-Ellen-Show level, you won't want to miss this picture book, LET'S DANCE, written by Valerie Bolling and illustrated by Maine Diaz.  
The contagious effects of music saturate the lyrical rhymed text and vivid action-packed pages. LET'S DANCE offers  universal appeal of movement and music through a multicultural lens.
Little bums and shoulders will start bobbing at the first sights and sounds of the exuberant action and expressions of kiddos virtually leaping off the cover. I have no doubt that adult readers will be doing some seat-swaying and toe-tapping within a few page turns, too. 
A first peek at the end papers hints at the multi-cultural, globe-trotting magical genres of dance, from ballet slippers to cowboy hats, from high-top sneakers to castanets, and more. The illustrator is adept at balancing the authenticity of the garb and styles with diverse characters who are not locked into stereotypical types of dance or culture.

I'm always impressed with perfectly metered and rhymed text, especially so when the word count totals only sixty words of main text swirling from page to page in two-to-four word lines. The text opens up learner-engaged opportunities from meter-clapping to onomatopoeitic explorations at any age. 
Each of ten double page spreads features traditionally-dressed kid-dancers from around the world, executing flamenco to Irish step dancing, disco to breakdancing, west-African kuku dancing to kathak dancers from India, and beyond. The dancers are diverse in skin tone, body size, hair style, and setting, but are universal in the magical effects of melody and rhythm. I'd include a few quoted lines, but in isolation they don't do the author justice. In fact, this book is  a master class in the perfect interaction of words, illustrations, and book design. 

My only dance instruction was preschool "ballet class" in a summer recreation program. Since those years I have learned that choreographers use the term "vocabulary" of movement, positions, etc. That term sprang to mind as I enjoyed and examined this book, realizing that the artist's vocabulary of movement, poses, and perspectives enhanced the author's word choices as ideally as did the art director's choices for font, color, size, and layout.

My first view of this book was in a PDF digital file, and I admired it then. Soon after, I received an advance paper copy that magnified my response a thousand-fold. In fact, the physical book underscored my commitment to the importance of enthralling kids with actual books rather than digital screens. 
The large trim size opens to a lap-filling horizontal dance-floor of delight. A double-page spread of back matter offers cameo images of each dance with a brief description, identifying the dance name and cultural origins. (Consider that an invitation to check out examples-in-action in real life or on screen.)
You might envision a struggle to settle down bouncing toddlers following their dance through these pages. 
No worries. 
The closing spread presents a smiling tot, tucked in bed, dreaming to the tunes of twirling sheep. That's right, the calming conclusion makes this an ideal bedtime or naptime book, and would work especially well as a story time book with that settling resolution to dial down the energy, providing a transition to the next activity or story. 
Just keep your eyes open for a dapper little lamb who loves to steal the spotlight with swagger! I hope you'll take a close look at this one, and then make a purchase. As a library fan, I'm usually fine with sharing books "on loan", but this one should find a permanent place in your lives. 
It's definitely a "read it again" book.

I'll bet you remember the Lee Ann Womack hit from several years ago: I HOPE YOU DANCE. If not, click that title and remind yourself with the YouTube video. 


And, as the song says, I HOPE YOU'LL DANCE.

BTW, if you'd care to learn more about LEAP DAY traditions and superstitions, click HERE.

The PDF and advance copy were provided by the publisher with no promise of a review of any kind.