Deer Dancer

by Mary Lyn Ray, Lauren Stringer (Illustrator)

In this mesmerizing picture book from the author of the New York Times bestselling Stars , a young ballerina finds dancing inspiration in the natural world.

There’s a place I go that’s green and grass,
a place I thought that no one knew—
until the deer came.

This gorgeous picture book from celebrated author Mary Lyn Ray features luminous and evocative art from Lauren Stringer and will capture the hearts of young dancers everywhere.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Nature, Childrens, Poetry, Art, Adventure

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 6, 2014

About the author

Mary Lyn Ray is a conservationist and author of several picture books for children. She was born in Louisiana in 1946 and grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. Ray has lived in New England since 1964, when she first came east to attend college. She currently lives in a 150-year-old farmhouse in South Danbury, New Hampshire, which she restored herself.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 4 out of 5]

How did people perfect dance? Did they watch the animals to learn new postures? This girl is in a ballet lesson where she is told to listen with her cheekbones. Tilt her head like she has antlers. After class she likes to dance in a grassy meadow in the middle of the woods. While there a deer visits her and they dance together.

There isn't a big story. There is imagery, movement, magic and mystery here. The kids weren't too interested in this. The niece enjoyed the dance part. This was more my cup of tea. I love how the art expressed the movement of dance and how the dance was linked with the wild freedom of nature. It is simply my kind of book. I would call it arty.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely! Shows both the natural spirit of dance and the related (yet more practiced discipline) steps of ballet.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's a place I go that's
green and grass,
a place I thought that no one
knew-
until the day
a deer came.

A young girl is dancing. She's wearing a pink tutu and purple leggings. There are bright yellow flowers in her hair. Her dance teacher said: "Hold your head as if you're wearing antlers", "Listen with your cheekbones" and "Look with the eyes in your shoulders." But the girl can't match the teacher's level of skill yet, so she goes to a place that's "green and grass" (a meadow in the woods near her home) to practice. That's where she meets the deer, who teaches her how to leap, swirl and bow gracefully.

Deer Dancer is a wonderful and uplifting celebration of nature - the grace and elegance of deer movement in particular. The book is bright, hopeful, elegant - all thanks to the gorgeous illustrations done in the shades of green and yellow.

There is something beautiful and magical in the way deer moves, whether bowing, leaping, or completely still and at rest. Deer are majestic creatures - their dance is quiet and gentle, almost otherworldly. A completely breathtaking spectacle. The girl respects the nature, admires the deer and learns from it. They dance together in harmony and mutual respect that is really joyful and inspiring.

Deer Dancer is a really beautiful book - both visually amazing and meaningful. As a parent, I want my daughter to grow up with appreciation for nature and respect for wildlife, and that is precisely why I will be reading this book to her often.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful way to look at dancing! Girl meets deer and sees in the deer's fluid movements, the ballet that her teacher has been showing her. Here she practices with her newfound friend, learning how to move as a deer does. Creative and beautiful, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it for sharing with any little girl that loves to dance.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. Not nearly as 'fey' or 'frou-frou' as some reviewers claim. I'm not into that stuff, or ballet, but I enjoyed this very much. I would have liked to have seen the results of what the girl learned from the deer - did she just gain more comfort and confidence, or did she take her developing grace back to the studio and have more success?

[Niki · Rating 3 out of 5]

It would be fun to pair this book with Flora and the Flamingo.

[Christine Turner]

In this mesmerizing picture book from the author of the New York Times bestselling Stars , a young ballerina finds dancing inspiration in the natural world.

There's a place I go that's green and grass, a place I thought that no one knew-- until the deer came.

This gorgeous picture book from celebrated author Mary Lyn Ray features luminous and evocative art from Lauren Stringer and will capture the hearts of young dancers everywhere.


Subject: Deer -- Juvenile fiction
Dance -- Juvenile fiction

[Sarah Fitzsimmons]

Deer Dancer is a sweet little book about a girl who spends her time out with nature. This little girl was involved in a ballet class and when she was practicing, deer came and danced with her.
I love this little book. It really ignites your imagination. The illustrations are so beautiful and full of life and color.
I think this book would be a good one to have in my classroom. Its a nice easy read that is really relaxing to the mind.

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I'm going to read this a second time and try not to think about True Detective.

UPDATE: This magical moment is brought to you by nature! The swirly painted forest adds to the magical vibe of the forest. I got a wee "The Little House" by Virginia Lee Burton vibe - probably all that roundness with the subject as the focal point. COOL VIBES!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love green. I love this book. The green in this book is beautiful and uplifting and makes me want to dance too. What a sweet book. If you have a young child who is movement centered and loves to dance, this could be a book for them! THE green in this book just makes me want to dive into it...

[Angie Quantrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dance like a deer" are the instructions the girl hears in ballet class. "Pretend you have antlers on your head help" her remember how to try to move. But she is learning and can't quite get the moves down. That is, until she goes to practice in a secluded green meadow and dances with a real, live deer. Great book for nature lovers and dancers.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dancing inspired by nature. A young dancer learns to mimic the movements of the elegant deer in her dance class and shares a stage of grassy green with the creature itself.

Text and acrylic paint illustrations perfectly mirror one another in lyrical beauty. Good read aloud for PreK-2.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an incredibly poetic story about a girl who is learning to be a ballerina and finds a special place in the woods where a deer helps her learn. It is a little abstract, so it might take some getting used to, but the pictures are gorgeous and peaceful.

[Kifflie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A young ballerina practices her dance in the woods and meets up with a deer, who helps her find even more beautiful music in her head. The greens and browns in the illustrations are spectacular, and there is a real sense of music and dance.

[kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

kindergartener likes it more than me. it has ballet, a girl in a pink skirt, and dancing. I thought it was a little too poetry-like frou frou, but admit most people would like the comparison of the deer's movements to dancing.

[Tracie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this magical. A young dancer dances with the deer in her woods.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age: Preschool-1st grade
Art: Ballet

A girl is inspired by the graceful movements of a deer and nature.

[Anessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful and fun!!!!!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really love the giant pages/illustrations. A little serious for story time, but could work in a dance-specific story time, esp. for my humongous groups.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read, not quite sure how we could use it, perhaps in poetry workshop. The illustrations were lovely.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought both the words and the illustrations were just beautiful.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A unique combination of a girl who dances and a deer in the woods. Some how this book works. The illustration are lovely and somehow comforting.

[Colleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reminiscent of the illustrations in Kate Seredy's work. I could see it appealing to nature lovers and kids I would describe as "fey."

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous book about the grace in nature and our connection to it. This would work well for a nature or dance storytime.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I would have appreciated this more if I had ever done dance.

[Librariansteph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated and rhythmically told story of a girl who is inspired to improve her ballet dancing by the graceful movement of a deer.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Top Ten Arts Books for Youth 2014 (Booklist)

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art is beautiful. 4.5 stars for that. The text is fine but it's a little saccharine or woo-woo-spiritual or something for my personal taste. So 2 stars for that.

[Emmaus Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bright and lovely story about a young dancer who finally understands what her teacher has been saying when she dances in the wild, and a deer joins her.

Fun and interesting for story time!