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I Will Dance
This poetic and uplifting picture book illustrated by the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines follows a young girl born with cerebral palsy as she pursues her dream of becoming a dancer.
Like many young girls, Eva longs to dance. But unlike many would-be dancers, Eva has cerebral palsy. She doesn’t know what dance looks like for someone who uses a wheelchair.
Then Eva learns of a place that has created a class for dancers of all abilities. Her first movements in the studio are tentative, but with the encouragement of her instructor and fellow students, Eva becomes more confident. Eva knows she’s found a place where she belongs. At last her dream of dancing has come true.
Like many young girls, Eva longs to dance. But unlike many would-be dancers, Eva has cerebral palsy. She doesn’t know what dance looks like for someone who uses a wheelchair.
Then Eva learns of a place that has created a class for dancers of all abilities. Her first movements in the studio are tentative, but with the encouragement of her instructor and fellow students, Eva becomes more confident. Eva knows she’s found a place where she belongs. At last her dream of dancing has come true.
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2020
7 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Bo Flood
21 books12 followersThis author also goes by Bo Flood.
Nancy Bo Flood is an author, psychologist, teacher, and mother who writes about what she enjoys—children and foreign cultures. She has taught in several different cultures, including Japan, Saipan of Micronesia, Hawaii and Samoa. She lives on the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona.
Nancy Bo Flood is an author, psychologist, teacher, and mother who writes about what she enjoys—children and foreign cultures. She has taught in several different cultures, including Japan, Saipan of Micronesia, Hawaii and Samoa. She lives on the Navajo Reservation in northern Arizona.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
December 2, 2020
I read this with my 21-mo. This book is definitely written for older children, but it's never too early to read "above level" for all the benefits to vocabulary and emotional development. Even so, I didn't expect a huge reaction, and sure, most of the story probably went over her head. At one point, though, the dancers are standing in a line and Eva is seated in her wheelchair. My daughter pointed at her and said "Up!" (her command for "get up"). I explained that some people don't get up to move around, and they have wheels to help them. ("Wheels!") And that was that. We got to the end of the book and Eva's triumphant dance performance, and my toddler's reaction? "Yay!"
Never too early.
Never too early.
March 8, 2021
Usually when I see a disabled kid on the cover of a book, they're just in the periphery. Not here!! This is actually about a child who longs to dance, but uses a wheelchair and so people tell her to just pretend or imagine she's dancing. But then she discovers an ad for a dance class that proclaims all ages, all abilities are welcome and she finds a class full of her people! Is there a version of the Bechdel test but for disability? Because this one passes! (Or gets as close as possible to passing because it's a picture book and there's very little text overall, and even less dialogue.) I also really liked reading about Young Dance in Minnesota, and it reminded me of DanceAbility in Eugene, OR. I wish I had an accessible dance class in my area.
I'm planning on reading this for story time coming up (with a few pages pinned for length reasons) and I'm planning on showing off my cane!
This would have definitely been bumped up to 5 stars if either the author or illustrator were disabled. The author based the story on a particular child (and has a series of blog posts on her website about her/the book), but then again she also uses the phrase "differently abled" on her website and I almost threw up into my mask. Disability isn't a dirty word. SAY IT.
I'm planning on reading this for story time coming up (with a few pages pinned for length reasons) and I'm planning on showing off my cane!
This would have definitely been bumped up to 5 stars if either the author or illustrator were disabled. The author based the story on a particular child (and has a series of blog posts on her website about her/the book), but then again she also uses the phrase "differently abled" on her website and I almost threw up into my mask. Disability isn't a dirty word. SAY IT.
March 15, 2021
Nancy Bo Flood tells this story of a young girl with Cerebral Palsy who longs to dance. There seems to be no one who knows how it would look for her, wheelchair-bound, only able to move her head, arms, and fingers. Then Eva learns about a place with a class for ALL abilities. Julianna Swaney's endearing illustrations show ALL kinds of children, first doing what you can imagine, jumping rope, kicking soccer balls, hugging. Eva tries to imagine what it must be like to BE like them and in a swirling two-page spread, she is dancing! In the class, shy and nervous, Eva enters this new class and this time ALL kinds of children, including wheelchairs, cane, crutches, and those who do not have at least a recognizable challenge. I love the part when shy Eva is invited to join the others. Nancy writes: "Join us. We are many dancers, one circle. We each pass the touch." They partner up and they dance and they move and it is wonderful for us readers to see, to imagine.
In the Author's Note, Nancy writes that "like every child, Eva was born with dreams, Let me try. With longings, Let me belong." There is a place like this, named "Young Dance" where dancers of seven to eighteen come to participate in dance. Find more about it at youngdance.org.
In the Author's Note, Nancy writes that "like every child, Eva was born with dreams, Let me try. With longings, Let me belong." There is a place like this, named "Young Dance" where dancers of seven to eighteen come to participate in dance. Find more about it at youngdance.org.
July 30, 2020
“I don’t want to imagine. I want to dance. The teacher says, pretend you are dancing. I don’t want to pretend. I want to move. I want to feel the music, sway, swing, fly over and under. Together. Not alone.”
I truly appreciate the way this gets into the point of view of a girl who uses a wheel chair and wants to dance. Such a needed book. Such a child-centered story.
I truly appreciate the way this gets into the point of view of a girl who uses a wheel chair and wants to dance. Such a needed book. Such a child-centered story.
December 31, 2020
Richie’s Picks: I WILL DANCE by Nancy Bo Flood and Julianna Swaney, ill., Atheneum, May 2020, 48p., ISBN: 978-1-5344-3061-7
“Right foot right, left foot left
They got me on the run
Now I know what grownups do
When they go out for fun”
-- my hazy recollection of “I’d Rather Dance Than Eat,” the song to which our Saturday afternoon dance class tap-danced when I was in second grade.
Back then, I learned that moving my body to music was a lot of fun. These days it’s just two of us dancing at home. But when a pandemic’s not in the way, we are longtime participants in Lindy in the Park, a Sunday tradition in Golden Gate Park for more than a quarter-century.
I WILL DANCE is a lovely book about the act of dancing. There are a couple of reasons to share this one with pre-Ks and early elementary students. First, it’s a physical education book about moving your body in healthy, creative ways. Sometimes we dance in coordination with others. That can be magic to participate in and to watch. Sometimes we dance alone, or even just stride to the rhythm. Second, this tale of inclusivity is told from the view of a girl in a motorized wheelchair. The dance class for girls to which she ventures includes a couple of other differently abled children among the crowd.
“Welcome?
I roll forward
onto the dance floor.
Join us.
We are many dancers, one circle.
We each pass the touch.
The instructor steps
toward
me.
Her eyes meet mine. Her hand opens. She reaches,
dances closer, until her fingers touch mine.
She nods.
Something inside me changes.
I turn to the person next to me.
I lift my finger up, then down,
swirl my fingers around.
He watches then reaches,
echoes my movement, adds his own,
passes the touch, until the circle is complete.
We are all one circle.”
The main character has watched and wondered and dreamed of dancing. She’s had moments of real frustration. This class experience is a success story for everyone involved. The girl connects and bonds with her classmates. They come to see past her disabilities to the person, as we want our children to learn to do.
This rhythmic celebration of dancing is written by an educator who has developed programs for students with disabilities. I love illustrator Julianna Swaney’s eye-catching watercolor and graphite illustrations. The girls are buoyant and remind me of Alison Lester’s work from thirty years ago. The young characters vary by color, body shape, and abilities. There’s a lot of waving rhythm to the artwork, a lot of bounding energy.
As the teacher would say, On Four. One...Two...
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
“Right foot right, left foot left
They got me on the run
Now I know what grownups do
When they go out for fun”
-- my hazy recollection of “I’d Rather Dance Than Eat,” the song to which our Saturday afternoon dance class tap-danced when I was in second grade.
Back then, I learned that moving my body to music was a lot of fun. These days it’s just two of us dancing at home. But when a pandemic’s not in the way, we are longtime participants in Lindy in the Park, a Sunday tradition in Golden Gate Park for more than a quarter-century.
I WILL DANCE is a lovely book about the act of dancing. There are a couple of reasons to share this one with pre-Ks and early elementary students. First, it’s a physical education book about moving your body in healthy, creative ways. Sometimes we dance in coordination with others. That can be magic to participate in and to watch. Sometimes we dance alone, or even just stride to the rhythm. Second, this tale of inclusivity is told from the view of a girl in a motorized wheelchair. The dance class for girls to which she ventures includes a couple of other differently abled children among the crowd.
“Welcome?
I roll forward
onto the dance floor.
Join us.
We are many dancers, one circle.
We each pass the touch.
The instructor steps
toward
me.
Her eyes meet mine. Her hand opens. She reaches,
dances closer, until her fingers touch mine.
She nods.
Something inside me changes.
I turn to the person next to me.
I lift my finger up, then down,
swirl my fingers around.
He watches then reaches,
echoes my movement, adds his own,
passes the touch, until the circle is complete.
We are all one circle.”
The main character has watched and wondered and dreamed of dancing. She’s had moments of real frustration. This class experience is a success story for everyone involved. The girl connects and bonds with her classmates. They come to see past her disabilities to the person, as we want our children to learn to do.
This rhythmic celebration of dancing is written by an educator who has developed programs for students with disabilities. I love illustrator Julianna Swaney’s eye-catching watercolor and graphite illustrations. The girls are buoyant and remind me of Alison Lester’s work from thirty years ago. The young characters vary by color, body shape, and abilities. There’s a lot of waving rhythm to the artwork, a lot of bounding energy.
As the teacher would say, On Four. One...Two...
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.pbworks.com
https://www.facebook.com/richiespicks/
richiepartington@gmail.com
October 24, 2023
The illustrations really catch my eye, specially on the page where there is dancers all around her. The colors and meaning of this book is incredible. The little girl has a wish and she wants to dance.
June 18, 2020
The desire to dance has filled shelves with picture books, but Flood brings us an unusual treat. I Will Dance is a must for young dancers everywhere. Our hero, she’s the girl who lived. And one day, a girl who dances.
Our first person narrator, a ten-year-old girl, wants to dance. Not imagine dancing. Not pretending to dance. And not because she is incapable, the words and pictures demonstrate her ability to imagine and pretend.* She wants to dance, to move, to participate with other dancers on the stage. Hers is a longing that resonates.
One day, her mother (one of two) discovers an ad in the paper for “Young Dance—all abilities, all ages. All are welcome.” But will our hero find the courage? She’s beset by doubts, worried she’ll be rejected.
“I want to dance, but I can hardly move. Only my head. Only my arms and fingers.”
In a clever turn, our protagonist wonders what it feels like to have the movement of other kids; even as the reader/listener must wonder what it is like to be her, with such limited movement and a motorized chair. Flood invites curiosity.
So our girl decides to try, she goes up the elevator and stops at the entrance of the dance studio. Inside are young dancers “with canes and crutches, walkers and wheels, bare feet, slippers, or callouses,” and prosthetics. They are a spectrum of color, boys, girls, androgynous alike. And they welcome her.
Flood welcomes the reader/listener into their lessons, the choreography, the practice, practice, practice. And then the BIG NIGHT, an ingredient to every other dance story. Our dancer performs and the night closes on a longing emphasized throughout the story, a theme that has danced alongside her desire to be a dancer.
She has come to belong to something bigger than herself. She isn’t alone. She is a dancer, one of many, her movement in relationship with other dancers. And you realize, that dancer is the only thing we know we can call her, our protagonist otherwise nameless. This realization is an important one because it signals that our protagonist as Dancer is more than a fulfillment of a dream, of imagination, but of a revelation of a deeper part of herself. Dancer is a significant part of her identity. And so from the start of lessons to book’s end we're met with joy.
Aside from the diversity in abilities, Flood greets us with a birthday party attended by a diverse community. This book is a feast for the soul in offering representation and irrepressible longing and joy. Julianna Swaney’s illustrations play no small part in enchanting the reader/listener.
The color palette is lovely, the warm hues bright against the blue-green washes; the ribbons of movement, both visualized and invisibly thread as our eyes move through the sequences. She creates visual themes to echo the narrative; the cords from her stay in NICU suggesting something was there at the very beginning. I appreciate the skill and marvel at Swaney compositions of movement, posture, in both the abstract shadow images and the realistic bodies. Paired with Flood’s sensory text, we can imagine ourselves among the dancers.
I Will Dance is a declarative. It inspires in the familiar way great dancer stories can. A longing finds a way, and the dancer finds their people, their stage, their audience, and most importantly, themselves. Obstacles are overcome, whether it’s in the form of a tutu, slippers, lessons, or nailing that audition. Flood’s dancer finds her studio, her community, and courageously shows up for that audition. She practices, and practices, and performs despite the butterflies.
I Will Dance is a great addition to dance and child libraries because it is a great dance book. And it offers rare representation—much needed representation, because dancers do come in all the shapes and sizes and colors and abilities.
She lived “ten years of minutes” where she was only supposed to have lived one or two. If she wants to dance: she’ll dance.
+
*It is incredibly important to note that when she imagines herself dancing, she is still in her chair, she is still in her body. And when she does dance, she uses her body and her chair; there is zero dissonance. I took Dance Theory once and wrote a paper on a scene from the TV show Glee where Artie imagines himself like his peers, dancing without his chair. His dream projection, his idealized self—it was a dancer without a wheelchair. [a question of virility is involved as well.] This episode, paired with outside discussions about how the actor Kevin McHale was actually the most trained and talented dancer on the show was in a wheelchair casted role, elicited pity. The wheelchair was an obstacle to overcome. Fortunately, importantly, I Will Dance makes no such offensive rhetorical suggestion. Wholeness is not the issue, access is. Flood’s dancer finds it and flourishes.
Recommended for fans of Anna Walker Illustrations, and, obviously, dance books.
Our first person narrator, a ten-year-old girl, wants to dance. Not imagine dancing. Not pretending to dance. And not because she is incapable, the words and pictures demonstrate her ability to imagine and pretend.* She wants to dance, to move, to participate with other dancers on the stage. Hers is a longing that resonates.
One day, her mother (one of two) discovers an ad in the paper for “Young Dance—all abilities, all ages. All are welcome.” But will our hero find the courage? She’s beset by doubts, worried she’ll be rejected.
“I want to dance, but I can hardly move. Only my head. Only my arms and fingers.”
In a clever turn, our protagonist wonders what it feels like to have the movement of other kids; even as the reader/listener must wonder what it is like to be her, with such limited movement and a motorized chair. Flood invites curiosity.
So our girl decides to try, she goes up the elevator and stops at the entrance of the dance studio. Inside are young dancers “with canes and crutches, walkers and wheels, bare feet, slippers, or callouses,” and prosthetics. They are a spectrum of color, boys, girls, androgynous alike. And they welcome her.
Flood welcomes the reader/listener into their lessons, the choreography, the practice, practice, practice. And then the BIG NIGHT, an ingredient to every other dance story. Our dancer performs and the night closes on a longing emphasized throughout the story, a theme that has danced alongside her desire to be a dancer.
She has come to belong to something bigger than herself. She isn’t alone. She is a dancer, one of many, her movement in relationship with other dancers. And you realize, that dancer is the only thing we know we can call her, our protagonist otherwise nameless. This realization is an important one because it signals that our protagonist as Dancer is more than a fulfillment of a dream, of imagination, but of a revelation of a deeper part of herself. Dancer is a significant part of her identity. And so from the start of lessons to book’s end we're met with joy.
Aside from the diversity in abilities, Flood greets us with a birthday party attended by a diverse community. This book is a feast for the soul in offering representation and irrepressible longing and joy. Julianna Swaney’s illustrations play no small part in enchanting the reader/listener.
The color palette is lovely, the warm hues bright against the blue-green washes; the ribbons of movement, both visualized and invisibly thread as our eyes move through the sequences. She creates visual themes to echo the narrative; the cords from her stay in NICU suggesting something was there at the very beginning. I appreciate the skill and marvel at Swaney compositions of movement, posture, in both the abstract shadow images and the realistic bodies. Paired with Flood’s sensory text, we can imagine ourselves among the dancers.
I Will Dance is a declarative. It inspires in the familiar way great dancer stories can. A longing finds a way, and the dancer finds their people, their stage, their audience, and most importantly, themselves. Obstacles are overcome, whether it’s in the form of a tutu, slippers, lessons, or nailing that audition. Flood’s dancer finds her studio, her community, and courageously shows up for that audition. She practices, and practices, and performs despite the butterflies.
I Will Dance is a great addition to dance and child libraries because it is a great dance book. And it offers rare representation—much needed representation, because dancers do come in all the shapes and sizes and colors and abilities.
She lived “ten years of minutes” where she was only supposed to have lived one or two. If she wants to dance: she’ll dance.
+
*It is incredibly important to note that when she imagines herself dancing, she is still in her chair, she is still in her body. And when she does dance, she uses her body and her chair; there is zero dissonance. I took Dance Theory once and wrote a paper on a scene from the TV show Glee where Artie imagines himself like his peers, dancing without his chair. His dream projection, his idealized self—it was a dancer without a wheelchair. [a question of virility is involved as well.] This episode, paired with outside discussions about how the actor Kevin McHale was actually the most trained and talented dancer on the show was in a wheelchair casted role, elicited pity. The wheelchair was an obstacle to overcome. Fortunately, importantly, I Will Dance makes no such offensive rhetorical suggestion. Wholeness is not the issue, access is. Flood’s dancer finds it and flourishes.
Recommended for fans of Anna Walker Illustrations, and, obviously, dance books.
Read
June 28, 2020Eva longs to dance, but she's not sure she can. Living in a wheelchair and only able to move a little bit, could she ever be welcomed onto the stage? This beautiful picture book is based on students in the Young Dance Company, a company for young people of all abilities. Yes, Eva can dance. And this picture book shows a group of different children of different ability levels and body types (including larger able-bodied children) dancing together and creating art.
December 29, 2020
An interesting story about a real-life, all-abilities dance studio. The illustration style is soft and friendly, and the message about a girl finding belonging and realizing her dreams is great.
April 23, 2024
Absolutely heartwarming about the desire to dance overcoming limitations.
May 16, 2024
Menarik banget dan heartwarming 🫶
November 4, 2020
Inspired by a true story – a young girl with cerebral palsy wishes for a tutu; wishes to dance. But she is in a wheelchair. Only her head, arms, and fingers can move. So how will this young girl ever have her wish come true? Not all dreams come true; not for you, or me, or the young girl. Mom tells her to imagine she is dancing. Her teacher tells her to pretend.
The young girl watches dancers as they swirl, spin, and stand on tall toes. She wants to stand on tall toes. She wants to pirouette across the stage with arms like wings. She wants to dance. Not imagine or pretend, and certainly not alone.
Dreams and wishes that do not come true can be difficult to accept, especially if you are young; maybe more so if you are confined to a wheelchair, as this young girl is confined. No one has any good answers for the young girl, until . . . mom reads an ad in the newspaper:
“Audition for Young Dance—
all abilities, all ages.
All are welcome.”
Someone decided to form a dance troupe with people of many ages and abilities. The young, the old. Those who can walk and those who need help. Wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and crutches. Everyone excited to learn to dance. That I Will Dance is based on a true story makes this heartwarming, especially given that the young girl was never expected to live more than a few minutes. She is now ten-years-old or, as she phrases it, “ten years of minutes.”
The young girl is the narrator. She tells her story with guts, humility, and, once she is with Young Dance, confidence. She knows her limits and so is nervous and ready to run the day of auditions. As she turns to leave, another girl reaches out, then the teacher reaches out. Fingers touch, everyone learns to count beats and listen to the rhythm. They all become dancers.
The fun of dancing; the swirling, the overs and unders, the contracting and expanding all become a reality for the young girl who wishes to dance. On performance night, with a belly full of nervous butterflies, she dances on a real stage, with real lighting, real music with beats to count, and real people watching and applauding. Performance night seals the dream. Her wish comes true. She is a Dancer!
The young girl is an inspiration for other kids wanting to do something or accomplish a goal and not knowing how they could ever do it because . . .
“Because” does not need to hold anyone back. Find a way, find someone who can help you find the way. Like the young girl, do not imagine or pretend. And you definitely do not need to go it alone. (Imagining or “visualizing” yourself doing something can actually help, but not if imagining is all you do.)
Kids in wheelchairs (electric and manual), using walkers, canes, and even an artificial leg are shown learning how to dance. In addition to the variety of children, the young narrator has two moms. The illustrations are beautiful and magnificently show movement as dancers swirl, twirl, and spin across the dance floor. Movement is shown by a stream of small stars flowing from person-to-person. The Young Dance Company is made up of smiling, happy, dancing kids, some who just happen to use an assistive device, but those devices do not define the child.
I Will Dance is perfect for pediatricians’ waiting rooms, clinics, classrooms, and libraries. I Will Dance is a positive story about disability and how one’s disability needs not define or determine one’s life. I Will Dance might have you wondering where the answer is for your dream. We all need to understand not all wishes and dreams will come true, but we also need to understand we should not give up on a dream. When you least expect it, an ad might appear in a paper or online that can help you fulfill your dream.
The young girl watches dancers as they swirl, spin, and stand on tall toes. She wants to stand on tall toes. She wants to pirouette across the stage with arms like wings. She wants to dance. Not imagine or pretend, and certainly not alone.
Dreams and wishes that do not come true can be difficult to accept, especially if you are young; maybe more so if you are confined to a wheelchair, as this young girl is confined. No one has any good answers for the young girl, until . . . mom reads an ad in the newspaper:
“Audition for Young Dance—
all abilities, all ages.
All are welcome.”
Someone decided to form a dance troupe with people of many ages and abilities. The young, the old. Those who can walk and those who need help. Wheelchairs, walkers, canes, and crutches. Everyone excited to learn to dance. That I Will Dance is based on a true story makes this heartwarming, especially given that the young girl was never expected to live more than a few minutes. She is now ten-years-old or, as she phrases it, “ten years of minutes.”
The young girl is the narrator. She tells her story with guts, humility, and, once she is with Young Dance, confidence. She knows her limits and so is nervous and ready to run the day of auditions. As she turns to leave, another girl reaches out, then the teacher reaches out. Fingers touch, everyone learns to count beats and listen to the rhythm. They all become dancers.
The fun of dancing; the swirling, the overs and unders, the contracting and expanding all become a reality for the young girl who wishes to dance. On performance night, with a belly full of nervous butterflies, she dances on a real stage, with real lighting, real music with beats to count, and real people watching and applauding. Performance night seals the dream. Her wish comes true. She is a Dancer!
The young girl is an inspiration for other kids wanting to do something or accomplish a goal and not knowing how they could ever do it because . . .
“Because” does not need to hold anyone back. Find a way, find someone who can help you find the way. Like the young girl, do not imagine or pretend. And you definitely do not need to go it alone. (Imagining or “visualizing” yourself doing something can actually help, but not if imagining is all you do.)
Kids in wheelchairs (electric and manual), using walkers, canes, and even an artificial leg are shown learning how to dance. In addition to the variety of children, the young narrator has two moms. The illustrations are beautiful and magnificently show movement as dancers swirl, twirl, and spin across the dance floor. Movement is shown by a stream of small stars flowing from person-to-person. The Young Dance Company is made up of smiling, happy, dancing kids, some who just happen to use an assistive device, but those devices do not define the child.
I Will Dance is perfect for pediatricians’ waiting rooms, clinics, classrooms, and libraries. I Will Dance is a positive story about disability and how one’s disability needs not define or determine one’s life. I Will Dance might have you wondering where the answer is for your dream. We all need to understand not all wishes and dreams will come true, but we also need to understand we should not give up on a dream. When you least expect it, an ad might appear in a paper or online that can help you fulfill your dream.
December 3, 2020
This wonderful book is inspired by a young girl who is a dancer in a company called Young Dance. This company invites and encourages young people of all abilities to be a part of their creative dancing group. In this story, we meet a young girl who is celebrating her 10th birthday. She is in a wheelchair and is too weak to blow out the candles on her birthday cake. She explains how she was born very tiny and was not expected to live very long. She has lived for ten years, but her body is very weak. She often wonders what it would be like to jump up high, kick a ball, and run like the other kids--but more importantly, she wonders what it would be like to dance. Others tell her to “imagine” or “pretend” she is dancing, but she wants to actually dance. One day her mother (she actually has two mothers so that is another plus for this book!) tells her about a dance audition that is inviting dancers of all abilities. This little girl is reluctant to go for so many reasons--what will others think of her, what if she cannot do anything, what if they do not want her. Once at the dance studio, she sees that she was completely wrong about this dance group. There are children of all ages and abilities and they are all preparing to dance. The instructor begins an activity that all children can do, according to their own abilities, and pretty soon the entire group is dancing. After some practice, the group is ready for their performance. Once on the stage, this young girl realizes she is dancing--not pretend or imaginary, but really dancing!
The beautiful watercolor illustrations provided by Julianna Swaney are perfect for this story. The artwork seems to float across the pages just as the dancers. I love how she captures all the different abilities of the children including those in wheelchairs, braces, and walkers.
This book would be perfect for children between the ages of four and eight years old. I could see where a child with a disability might gravitate toward this story because they can see themselves in the pages, but this is also a story about bravery and overcoming your fears--and that is something many children might like to see in a story.
The beautiful watercolor illustrations provided by Julianna Swaney are perfect for this story. The artwork seems to float across the pages just as the dancers. I love how she captures all the different abilities of the children including those in wheelchairs, braces, and walkers.
This book would be perfect for children between the ages of four and eight years old. I could see where a child with a disability might gravitate toward this story because they can see themselves in the pages, but this is also a story about bravery and overcoming your fears--and that is something many children might like to see in a story.
September 29, 2020
The words and the illustrations of "I Will Dance," written by Nancy Bo Flood and Illustrated by Julianna Swaney, flow across the page in a story about one 10 year old’s dream, determination, and courage. It is a story that will empower children of all abilities, and adults, too.
Eva, who is never named in the text, has cerebral palsy.
“On my birthday,
can’t blow out the candles—
not enough strength.
But I have one wish:
a pink tutu.
I want to dance.”
I was a dancer. I still am, on the inside. I think dancers are born, the imperative to create meaning through movement woven into the soul. Why should limited ability alter that desire, that need, that dream? It doesn’t.
Of the many essential parts of this is story is Eva's honest, authentic voice. She is determined to realize her dream, “Not imagine. Not pretend.” But she’s also scared of what others might say or think. She hesitates,
“I’m not ready.
I am safe in my
steel chair,
stationary wheels,
a motor,
me.”
It isn’t just a chair—it’s a steel chair, strong, unbendable, reliable. But humans aren’t made of steel. To dream we must bend, we must risk.
Swaney’s illustrations are magical and magically inclusive. Eva has two mothers and the children are of all colors, shapes, and abilities. There is a prosthetic leg, a walker, crutches, and wheel chairs. There are fully ambulant children also, who are essential to the message that dance and life is something that must be done together—“Not alone.”
Eva is not only accepted into a circle of dancers in class, but her experience encompasses the full range of dance experience: practice, practice, practice, dressing room excitement, makeup, hurry to the stage, wait in the wings, “Breathe!”
“I roar, spin my chair,
circle round,
Soar.”
And this is what being human is all about.
“I dance!” might just as easily be “I Live!”
Eva, who is never named in the text, has cerebral palsy.
“On my birthday,
can’t blow out the candles—
not enough strength.
But I have one wish:
a pink tutu.
I want to dance.”
I was a dancer. I still am, on the inside. I think dancers are born, the imperative to create meaning through movement woven into the soul. Why should limited ability alter that desire, that need, that dream? It doesn’t.
Of the many essential parts of this is story is Eva's honest, authentic voice. She is determined to realize her dream, “Not imagine. Not pretend.” But she’s also scared of what others might say or think. She hesitates,
“I’m not ready.
I am safe in my
steel chair,
stationary wheels,
a motor,
me.”
It isn’t just a chair—it’s a steel chair, strong, unbendable, reliable. But humans aren’t made of steel. To dream we must bend, we must risk.
Swaney’s illustrations are magical and magically inclusive. Eva has two mothers and the children are of all colors, shapes, and abilities. There is a prosthetic leg, a walker, crutches, and wheel chairs. There are fully ambulant children also, who are essential to the message that dance and life is something that must be done together—“Not alone.”
Eva is not only accepted into a circle of dancers in class, but her experience encompasses the full range of dance experience: practice, practice, practice, dressing room excitement, makeup, hurry to the stage, wait in the wings, “Breathe!”
“I roar, spin my chair,
circle round,
Soar.”
And this is what being human is all about.
“I dance!” might just as easily be “I Live!”
January 15, 2021
A little girl with cerebral palsy makes a birthday wish that she gets a pink tutu and can dance. When Eva was born, she wasn’t expected to survive more than a short while, but she is now ten years old. She wants to dance but can’t move more than her head and her arms and fingers. Eva can’t use her legs to run and move like other children can. Then her mother discovers a new dance program for people of all ages and all abilities. Still, will they let her join in even though she is in a wheelchair? Yes! When Eva arrives there are children of all sorts of ages, sizes, and who have a variety of assistive devices they use. Soon they are not only dancing but creating a performance where they do more than pretend and imagine. They dance!
At the end of the book, the author explains that a program called Young Dance inspired this picture book. The Executive Director of the Young Dance program also shares information on the program and its opportunities for children of all abilities. This picture book is inspiring on a variety of levels, for children who may think their limitations would prevent them from dancing, certainly. Plus it also shows everyone else not to make assumptions about what is possible and whether a dream can come true. Still, it is based firmly in reality, and as the book points out takes imagination and makes it real.
Swaney’s illustrations are lovely, showing both Eva’s physical limitations and also the beauty and freedom she first sees and then discovers herself in dancing. The use of sparkling energy to show the movement and magic of dance works particularly well.
A book that is inspiring and breaks stereotypes through dance. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
At the end of the book, the author explains that a program called Young Dance inspired this picture book. The Executive Director of the Young Dance program also shares information on the program and its opportunities for children of all abilities. This picture book is inspiring on a variety of levels, for children who may think their limitations would prevent them from dancing, certainly. Plus it also shows everyone else not to make assumptions about what is possible and whether a dream can come true. Still, it is based firmly in reality, and as the book points out takes imagination and makes it real.
Swaney’s illustrations are lovely, showing both Eva’s physical limitations and also the beauty and freedom she first sees and then discovers herself in dancing. The use of sparkling energy to show the movement and magic of dance works particularly well.
A book that is inspiring and breaks stereotypes through dance. Appropriate for ages 3-5.
October 30, 2023
This book is an inclusive story about how a girl with a disability in a wheelchair is finally able to reach her dreams of being a dancer when she finds an inclusive dance company that accepts all abilities and children. Children are encouraged to feel for the main character from the start upon hearing her story of feeling limited and tired of only being able to pretend. They will see more diversity with the child's two moms and more later on once she finds an inclusive dance class where children of all sizes and colors are present, as well as ones with a walker or crutches. As they work together with blue magic dust between them, the children learn inclusive movements with their arms, hands, and fingers, and everyone feels like a dancer. By performance day, the main character reaches her dream as everyone cheers for her and her fellow dancers after, and she then finally gets to say "I dance."
I would use this book in my classroom to discuss being inclusive and not excluding anyone in our classroom with my students. Children can critically think more as they imagine what ways they can help other children have a more equitable experience when they feel otherwise limited or excluded.
I would use this book in my classroom to discuss being inclusive and not excluding anyone in our classroom with my students. Children can critically think more as they imagine what ways they can help other children have a more equitable experience when they feel otherwise limited or excluded.
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March 2, 2025This book starts with a young girl that has cerebral palsy who has one wish, to dance. She explains how she can only move her head, arms, and fingers, but wonders how it would feel to dance, skip, and walk. She realizes she will not give up her dream of dancing. She wants to move and express herself like the other dancers she sees. Her mother hears about a dance group that welcomes all abilities, but Eva worries about how the other dancers might view her. When she finds the courage to join the dance group, as she enters she sees all different types of dancers. They all dance together and Eva discovers the excitement of dancing in her own way, she couldn't be happier.
I would use this book in my future classroom to read and discuss with students how different people experience the world in unique ways. I could ask students to share some of their talents and interests, to show them that everyone has something special to contribute. I would also talk about how Eva follows her dream despite challenges and how we can make sure everyone feels included in activities, no matter their abilities. I would make sure to talk about inclusion, determination, and the power of self expression with students.
I would use this book in my future classroom to read and discuss with students how different people experience the world in unique ways. I could ask students to share some of their talents and interests, to show them that everyone has something special to contribute. I would also talk about how Eva follows her dream despite challenges and how we can make sure everyone feels included in activities, no matter their abilities. I would make sure to talk about inclusion, determination, and the power of self expression with students.
November 10, 2020
Inspired by real people and an actual dance company that the author witnessed.
In this case the fictionalized young girl in a powered wheelchair introduces herself with a stunning reality check- born so premature that she was not expected to live.
Live she did, far past the doctor's prediction of only minutes of life. With minimal movement of a few body parts, she is filled from her heart to her skin with a love of dancing. She lacks the strength to blow out birthday candles, but her wish is for a tutu. Several brief efforts to engage with dance programs are disappointing, until her mom reads a newspaper advertisement seeking young dancers of "ALL ABILITIES, ALL AGES".
The present tense, hopefully-toned first person narrative of the story rises from disappointment and confinement to courage and commitment, lifting off the page in a gloriously successful and realistic performance of movement, music, and joy.
This story is all about dancing dreams. The soft-toned, emotionally evocative illustrations provide a warm and welcoming expanse of kids of every size, shape, color, and condition who also long to MOVE, and to do so with collaboration, creativity, and beauty.
In this case the fictionalized young girl in a powered wheelchair introduces herself with a stunning reality check- born so premature that she was not expected to live.
Live she did, far past the doctor's prediction of only minutes of life. With minimal movement of a few body parts, she is filled from her heart to her skin with a love of dancing. She lacks the strength to blow out birthday candles, but her wish is for a tutu. Several brief efforts to engage with dance programs are disappointing, until her mom reads a newspaper advertisement seeking young dancers of "ALL ABILITIES, ALL AGES".
The present tense, hopefully-toned first person narrative of the story rises from disappointment and confinement to courage and commitment, lifting off the page in a gloriously successful and realistic performance of movement, music, and joy.
This story is all about dancing dreams. The soft-toned, emotionally evocative illustrations provide a warm and welcoming expanse of kids of every size, shape, color, and condition who also long to MOVE, and to do so with collaboration, creativity, and beauty.
October 17, 2024
This story is about a little girl named Eva and her love for dance. The story begins with Eva celebrating her birthday, and her one wish is to become a dancer. Eva, though, has cerebral palsy and is always in a wheelchair. She doesn't think anyone would want a dancer who is in a wheelchair, and she wants to be able to get up and move across the stage. One day, her mom discovers an advertisement in the paper for dancers of all abilities. When Eva arrives at the studio, she sees dancers of all abilities ready to practice. Her instructor teaches them how to move across the stage in various ways to prepare for their upcoming performance. Eva joins in with the dancers after some hesitation and falls in love with being a performer. I can use this text in my class to teach students that their abilities do not set them back in the world. Eva had determination to become a dancer, and she was able to fulfill her dreams when she stepped out of her comfort zone. This story can teach students that they are capable of doing whatever they are passionate about, no matter how they may look or move.
March 17, 2025
This book made me very sad and emotional because the young girl in the book dreamed and really wished to be able to dance despite her challenges with being in a wheelchair. this story highlights the theme of perseverance and the importance of never giving up on something you love, in this case for the young girl it was dance. I would ask questions like, “What do you think Juna learned about herself through dancing?” or “Have you ever faced a challenge and how did you keep going?” This can help students make connections with the characters as well as make personal connections to the reading. I also would like to ask questions about on how she used confidence and resilience to learn how to dance and still feel confident while dancing with music and rhythms while moving herself in the wheelchair. Her teacher and classmates support her, and she gains confidence in her own unique way of dancing, it’s important to discuss and ask students why they think it was important that she got the support and encouragement she did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2025
This book made me very sad and emotional because the young girl in the book dreamed and really wished to be able to dance despite her challenges with being in a wheelchair. this story highlights the theme of perseverance and the importance of never giving up on something you love, in this case for the young girl it was dance. I would ask questions like, "What do you think Juna learned about herself through dancing?" or
"Have you ever faced a challenge and how did you keep going?" This can help students make connections with the characters as well as make personal connections to the reading. I also would like to ask questions about on how she used confidence and resilience to learn how to dance and still feel confident while dancing with music and rhythms while moving herself in the wheelchair. Her teacher and classmates support her, and she gains confidence in her own unique way of dancing, it's important to discuss and ask students why they think it was important that she got the support and encouragement she did.
"Have you ever faced a challenge and how did you keep going?" This can help students make connections with the characters as well as make personal connections to the reading. I also would like to ask questions about on how she used confidence and resilience to learn how to dance and still feel confident while dancing with music and rhythms while moving herself in the wheelchair. Her teacher and classmates support her, and she gains confidence in her own unique way of dancing, it's important to discuss and ask students why they think it was important that she got the support and encouragement she did.
January 29, 2021
Who decides what a dancer looks or acts like? Eva, a ten-year old girl in a wheelchair who can move her head, arms and hands, longs to dance, but she can't wrap her head around how that is possible. One of her moms encourages her to imagine she's dancing and her teacher tells Eva to pretend she is dancing, but that isn't satisfying at all. Then one day her mom spots an announcement in the newspaper - Audition for Young Dance, all ages and abilities welcome. Will Eva have the courage to try out? Will the other dancers truly accept her? Through lyrical text and soft watercolor illustrations, I Will Dance presents one girl's experience in the dance world and spotlights how transformative and powerful art can be. The text feels clunky in places, but the diversity of characters and the message of embracing others' differences overshadow the flaws. Back matter includes an author's note about the girl who inspired the story and information on Young Dance, a real dance company.
August 5, 2022
We LOVED this book!!
I Will Dance is a beautiful book that is a must for every home. I was finally able to borrow it from our library but it needs to be part of our permanent collection!
📖 Eva has exceeded many expectations that were placed on her at birth. She has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. Eva has one big wish as she sees her birthday cake alive with candles: she wants wants to dance. To move her arms and legs as freely as her heart and soul feels would mean the world to Eva.
📖 Her mom reads a notice in the newspaper for an inclusive dance program — all ages, ALL ABILITIES are welcome. Will Eva finally be able to live out her biggest dream?
📖 I am a big fan of illustrator Julianna Swaney, we have a few of her works and cherish them all! Her artwork pairs beautifully with the story written by Nancy Bo Flood. I already have a soft spot for dance and now I have an even softer spot for this book. It’s inclusive, it’s heartfelt, it’s just beautiful!
I Will Dance is a beautiful book that is a must for every home. I was finally able to borrow it from our library but it needs to be part of our permanent collection!
📖 Eva has exceeded many expectations that were placed on her at birth. She has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. Eva has one big wish as she sees her birthday cake alive with candles: she wants wants to dance. To move her arms and legs as freely as her heart and soul feels would mean the world to Eva.
📖 Her mom reads a notice in the newspaper for an inclusive dance program — all ages, ALL ABILITIES are welcome. Will Eva finally be able to live out her biggest dream?
📖 I am a big fan of illustrator Julianna Swaney, we have a few of her works and cherish them all! Her artwork pairs beautifully with the story written by Nancy Bo Flood. I already have a soft spot for dance and now I have an even softer spot for this book. It’s inclusive, it’s heartfelt, it’s just beautiful!
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October 26, 2023This book is about a girl who just wants to dance. She could barely breathe when she was born and wasn’t supposed to live for how long she has been for. One thing that stops her from dancing is that she cannot move most of her body. She wonders what it feels like to be able to have arms that reach high and legs that skip. She watches these dancers and wonders if she can roll her wheelchair while they dance around her. Her mom ends up finding a flyer that says it accepts all abilities and ages, so she goes and when she walks into the room she sees dancers with canes, wheelchairs, and they say welcome. She then dances! Just what she has always wanted. This story shows students that all are able to do something if they wish. This is a good conversation about inclusivity and perseverance. Maybe not many students in your class have known a young child who can’t move most of their body so this can help them understand others struggles.
October 24, 2024
I Will Dance is about a girl who uses a wheelchair and wished on her birthday to be able to dance. This young girl really wants to dance and wishes she could be like other children because they were able to move in ways she cannot. The main character in the book can only move her head, arms, and fingers and said that she wasn't even supposed to live this long due to a having a hard time at birth. She is curious how it feels to move like these other children when they play. She tells people she wants to dance and they tell her things like just pretend and imagine you are. Her mom finds her a dance class that is for all ages and abilities. The young girl goes and finds a dance class with people like her dancing. She joins, they practice, and put on a performance. She finally was able to dance. In the future I can use this book to teach children not to give up when something is hard just how this girl did not give up dancing.
October 21, 2025
This book is about a child who is a wheelchair user. When they were born, the doctors predicted a short life. However, the child celebrated their 10th birthday in the story. The only wish they have is to dance. Their mother finds a dance class that allows everyone of various abilities. Upon hearing this, the child gets nervous because they think all the dancers in the class will turn away and make them feel unwanted. However, once they get to the class, they see that there are dancers of various abilities present, and the teacher includes them in the dance circle. At the end of the story, the child performs a dance on stage with all of their dance partners, and then classifies themself as a dancer.
I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students that you can accomplish any dream you put your mind to. As shown in this book, the child fulfilled their dream of becoming a dancer. With goals and a passion towards your dream, you can also
I would use this book in my classroom to teach my students that you can accomplish any dream you put your mind to. As shown in this book, the child fulfilled their dream of becoming a dancer. With goals and a passion towards your dream, you can also
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November 3, 2025I Will Dance is a story about a young girl named Eva who uses a wheelchair. Eva dreams of dancing even though some people think it might not be possible for her. She joins a dance class where dancers of all different abilities move together. With support Eva learns that she can dance just in her own way. The book shows that everyone can follow their dreams even if they have to do things differently. It also teaches about inclusion, confidence, and believing in yourself. I would use this book to talk about differences and inclusion. I would ask students what made Eva special and how her classmates helped her. We could have a discussion about how everyone can participate in activities even if they need help or need to do things differently. Then we could do a simple movement activity where students express themselves through dance or body movements. Showing that there is no right or wrong way to move. This helps students learn kindness, empathy, and respect for all abilities.
November 24, 2020
Children's picture book. Wow. What a lovely story, hopeful and filled with light. Eva is a child with cerebral palsy and uses a motorized wheelchair to get around. While she doesn't have the strength to blow out her birthday candles, she does have a dream: to dance! Dancing is understandably difficult with a limited lung capacity and her wheelchair, but when a newspaper ad mentions dance class for all abilities, Eva has to try. When she goes, she finds a true diversity of dancers-- with wheelchairs, walkers, braces, and even a prosthetic leg; able-bodied small and large, boy and girl, and multiple skin tones. Together these children dance, not pretend to or imagine dancing, but actually dance. Like other books have tried to open up the possibilities of who can be a scientist, this story opens up who can be a dancer. Highly recommended.
August 4, 2021
A diverse cast of characters in a dance program for all abilities is welcome for sure! Eva longs to dance, but uses a wheelchair and has little control of her body's movements. Her dream becomes reality when her mother finds an audition announcement in the newspaper for all abilities and all ages. Reading this story will bring you joy as you recognize that art is expression of love and joy and dance is for everyone!
In the author's note, we find out that Nancy Flood worked with a dance group called Young Dance Company and it changed her in many wonderful ways to see the children prepare and present their dances. There is also a note from the Executive Director of Young Dance, Gretchen Pick.
I want all of my students of all abilities to feel their opportunities are limitless and this book will be added to my collection.
In the author's note, we find out that Nancy Flood worked with a dance group called Young Dance Company and it changed her in many wonderful ways to see the children prepare and present their dances. There is also a note from the Executive Director of Young Dance, Gretchen Pick.
I want all of my students of all abilities to feel their opportunities are limitless and this book will be added to my collection.
October 25, 2022
This is such a heartwarming book. It's about a girl who is disabled, and she can barely move, let alone breathe. All that she wants to do is to be able to dance, not imagine herself doing it, but to actually be dancing. Her mom finds out that there is a dance class that allows anyone, no matter if they're abled or disabled, to come be apart of it. She is so excited, but at the same time nervous to go because she doesn't know how she's going to be able to dance. But once she's there, she feels like she should have been dancing for her entire life and loves it. I would use this in my classroom to show students that they can do anything they put their minds too. No matter if they're abled/disabled, or not good at something, they should always step out of their comfort zone and try it! And they might surprise themselves with finding something they really like it do.
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