Let's Dance!

by Valerie Bolling, Maine Diaz (Illustrations)

This rhythmic showcase of dances from all over the world features children of diverse backgrounds and abilities tapping, spinning, and boogying away!

Tap, twirl, twist, spin! With rhyming text, author Valerie Bolling shines a spotlight on dances from across the globe, while art from Maine Diaz shows off all the moves and the diverse people who do them. From the cha cha of Cuba to the stepping of Ireland, kids will want to leap, dip, and zip along with the dances on the page!

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Childrens, Music, Cultural, Art, Juvenile

Hardcover

First published March 3, 2020

Reviews

[Kristy Nuttall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with my outdoor preschool class and the kids absolutely loved it! The words are snappy and peppy and make you feel like dancing! Plus the illustrations are marvelous and the kids in my class kept wanting to look through the pages again and again so that they could see all of the fascinating little details. The back matter is really helpful too--I really enjoyed learning the specific details about each dance.

[Kirsti Call · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Tappity tap, fingers snap!"

This book is a delightful exploration of dances around the world. Expressive and lyrical text pairs with active illustrations, making this the kind of book kids will want to re-read--and following the reading with a dance party!

[Laurie Wallmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Share the joy of dance! In just a few words, this high-energy book introduces little children to some of the many dance forms. For those who want to know more, the back matter describes the dances in detail.

[Vivian Kirkfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything about this book...the text makes you want to get up and move! The illustrations are joyful and engaging. And the diverse dances and characters are just what we need today...and will introduce kids to so many different cultures.

[Michelle (FabBookReviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A joyful rhyming picture book from author Valerie Bolling and illustrator Maine Diaz, Let's Dance! shines a light on various kinds of dances from all over the world. Starting with the "tappity-tap" and the dramatic fans and dress of flamenco dancing, Let's Dance! takes readers through a snappy and happy tour of dances from around the globe: everything from ballet to line dancing, Kathak to breakdancing, cha-cha to Irish stepdancing and even more! Each dance is highlighted with an illustrative spread and accompanied by action-based rhyming words. For readers who may be unfamiliar with any of the styles showcased throughout, there is also a handy pictorial index featuring the name of each dance with a concise description. Let's Dance! is not only a solid picture book with short, bouncy rhymes and fluid, lively art that make it great toddler-and-up reading aloud material, but also functions as an introduction into the diverse world of dance. A sincerely joyful book full of movement, positivity and vibrancy, Let's Dance! may well inspire readers to tap and twirl or zig and zag their own hearts out. Bonus: Check out author Valerie Bolling's site for some Let's Dance! colouring sheets, as well as a link to the book's trailer!

I received a copy of this title courtesy of author Valerie Bolling in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own.

[Maria Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the deceptively simple use of 12 couplets, consisting of two-word (sometimes three-word) rhymes, Valerie and Maine have created a lively exploration of the diversity of dances and their dancers from around the world. The dancers represent multiple nationalities (including a ballet dancer in a hijab), abilities (I love the wheelchair boogie dancer), and genders.
The bright, explosive double-page illustrations perfectly match the energy of the text and include plants and items unique to the dances (fans, instruments, special shoes, or lasso rope) or the culture of the country (fishing and clothing).
This is a great book to introduce movement, action, and a touch of culture to kids. The youngest ones will be enthralled by the happy twists & leaps of the kids and the older readers might be encouraged to make up their own dance, try a new style of dance, or research a bit more about these dances. Overall, It is a fun read aloud and a beautiful celebration of dance.

[Gabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book beautifully captures the JOY and rhythms of dance. With energetic, rhyming text, the story is an incredibly fun read-aloud that will have kids wanting to say the words along with the story – and then try the dances for themselves! Ten different dances from around the globe are featured within the story and described in more detail in the back matter. Diaz’s bold and bright illustrations feature children who are diverse in terms of race, body size, and abilities. Bolling expertly employs onomatopoeia and Diaz captures the sheer delight of dance in the facial expressions of her characters. Both the art and the text have a powerful sense of movement that will resonate with kids (and adults). Highly recommended!

[Aolund · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful, rhyming celebration of many forms of dance, including Flamenco, Irish Stepdance, Kathak, Kuku dance, the Long-Sleeve Dance, and more. I loved that this book celebrated dances from many cultures, though I would have loved to see Indigenous dances included as well. Informational text at the back of the book provides more information on the different dances included.

Themes: Dance, Movement, Celebrate Difference
Age range: Toddler through Kindergarten

[Carol Gordon Ekster · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read-aloud! Kids will love the rhythm and simple lyrical text. The illustrations are fantastic and diverse. Even the last page where the dancing stops and the child in bed is counting sheep is a delight - all the sheep are dancing! Nursery schools will love this one. I can see following up the reading with a dance party...or at least a discussion of the dances the class likes to do.

[Tameka · Rating 5 out of 5]

LET'S DANCE! is my kind of book. It's bursting with color, action, and tons of fun. Both the text and illustrations are vivid, crisp, and perfect for engaging toddlers and preschoolers. And it encourages movement, too. What more could you ask for in a picture book? Highly Recommend!

[Tanisha Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title (italicize): Let’s Dance!
Author: Valerie Bolling
Illustrator (if separate from author): Maine Diaz
Genre: Fiction
Theme(s): Dance, Music
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “Tappity Tap. Fingers Snap.”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This book is about dance all around the world. The story displays pretty illustrations of children from other parts of the world dancing many different dances as the story uses verbs to describe the dance.
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words): Kirkus Reviews states that the author encourages readers to dance in styles of dance and “…the zippy text will engage young children…(and) will get toes tapping.” In other words, the author uses her book to get encourage young children to get out there a dance. There are many different universal styles of dance. School Library Journal praised her book style as, “…the text are bright, spirited illustrations of children doing various of dances...a fun and lively title.”
Tell Me Framework (4 sentences in your own words):
Like(s): This story is not your typical story. It uses verbs from universal dances along the way. The illustration is very beautiful too.
Dislike(s): n/a
Patterns(s): Action verbs of universal dance
Puzzle(s): N/A
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words) Teachers can play music from their technology and have students along to the songs with lyrics displayed. Teachers could also have students spread out around the room to play freeze dance as that is or was one of the popular games to play with young kids. Children love to dance around which is a great way for them get to express all the energy they have build up.

[K.L. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like to dance? What style of dance do you prefer? Perhaps you like to breakdance, cha-cha, ballet or even line dance. This story shows diversity in dance from around the world.

If you dance in the Flamenco style you would tap your toes and snap your fingers. If you dance the Long-Sleeve dance, you will glide and slide. If you want to be like the Kuku dancers, you will wiggle your hips. Ballet dancers leap high and if you want to dance in a group you could line dance the do-si-do.

Kids who dance or want to learn and try different dances will enjoy this delightful high energy story. Cheery and vibrantly colored illustrations show dancers on the move. Young readers will enjoy the bounce and rhyme of the words sharing movement. It’s also easy to read and navigate for any beginner. Parents and teachers can share this lively story and discuss dances from different cultures and invite listeners to show some of their own dance moves.

[K.T. Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spin, dip, do-si-do! Valerie Bollings book Let's Dance invites you into a world of culture and color. For a child or an adult, it is incredibly engaging and will implore you to twist, wiggle, and jump.


The pictures in this book are vibrant with color and represent a wide variety of people. Big, small, light, dark, and different physical abilities, you can find yourself in this book and be exposed to different styles, sounds, and moves. Walk through a myriad of cultural dances and colors while learning a new dance or two.


The poetic lines are fun to read and will have you busting all sorts of moves. This is a great book for school age teachers, preschool teachers, or parents wanting to have fun while also learning about different cultures.

[Bad Habit Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is such a cute book! My niece and nephew loved it so much so they asked me to read it multiple times during my visit. They loved learning about the different dances around the world. The inclusiveness, gorgeous colors and movement of the illustrations were just spectacular.

My only critique would be that the names of the dances weren't on the same page as the pictures of the dances. I wish the name, description and pictures were all on one page so that when I was asked what is this dance called, I could easily answer.

The kids and I loved it either way.

Thank you to Goodreads for this giveaway! All opinions stated are my own.

[Susan Schipper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s Dance!, Valerie Bolling’s rhyming picture book, will have you dancing for joy!
This delightful story will take you around the world via “dancing”! Valerie captures the true spirit of each induvial dance and dancer. Maine Diaz’s illustrations are stunning! As an added bonus, the back matter describes the dances from around our world! Preschoolers and beyond will truly “dance” for joy when they experience this story! Spoiler Alert..there are even dancing sheep at the conclusion of this picture book!!! 😊

[Annamarie Carlson (she, her)]

Groove along with young dancers showing off a variety of dance moves, often in culturally specific clothing. Try the moves yourself before learning more about each dance with details in the back.

A good in-person toddler or preschool storytime pick. (I don't think I could attempt some of these moves on camera with just the top half of my body showing in a virtual storytime.) I might choose to have separate notes from the backmatter to share while sharing the different dance moves to provide a little more context about what is going on in each spread.

[Angela Salezze]

Valerie Bolling’s book Let’s Dance brought me joy as I was united with our world in dance, through colorful artwork of authentic dress and creative descriptions of inviting moves. The origins of each dance paired with captions and dancers displaying their moves weave a valued connection to the story from beginning to end. The book’s end pages provide the reader with a chance to associate each dance with an image during pre and post readings. The ribbon design on the book jacket suggests that we are joining together in joy through dance.

[Jeanette Fazzari Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valerie Bolling's words and Maine Diaz's illustrations beautifully capture the universal language of dance! This book is perfect for an interactive read-aloud or a bedtime story as readers are transported around the world and back home again through the rhythmic, simple text. Children of all abilities are represented and every child illustrated is unique just like the wonderful children in my life!

[Kelly Rice Schmitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

LET’S DANCE! is a favorite in our house right now!

Sparse rhyming text with lively illustrations of international dances make for a fantastic read.
We’ve been dancing the days away in quarantine! It's fun to pair with information about the different countries and google music/ dance videos to show the different styles!

Also, I love that illustrator included a wide range of diversity in this book.

[Jen Fier · Rating 5 out of 5]

LET’S DANCE! is a fun read aloud that shares the joy of dance and movement. Valerie Bolling's lyrical text is rich in onomatopoeia and rhyme. Maine Diaz's striking illustrations showcase children diverse in skin color, body type and ability, but alike in their shared love of dance! Backmatter enhances the text with information on the dances from around the world. Have your dancing shoes at the ready for when you close this one!

[FM Family · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why I keep trying to get books about dancing, Dance isn't really something that translates that well to still images. But this one works pretty well as far as a book with only a few words about dancing goes. Shows lots of diversity and different dances from around this world without veering (As far as i can remember) into stereotypes. My 3.5 enjoyed flipping through it but wasn't enthused to read it as it doesn't have a story behind it.

[Cynthia Gutzwiller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a marvelous book about dancing. With the illustrations that excitingly look like little paintings. On each.page is a dance style and shows a move with sound effects. On the back page is the name of the dance and more about it.
Groovy Grove. Zig-Zag-Zig Groovity Grove
Jiggity-Jig. Irish Stepdance must hold their bodies straight and only move their feet

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review quickly

[Elizabeth Junk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let’s dance is a book teaching children of the different dances around the world. It is an easier text for lower ages but still full of good information! At the end of the book we get a more in depth description of each type of dance and where it comes from. I would use this book in my classroom to expose my students to different cultures and show them the the beautiful dances of these cultures and regions.

[Shauntrell Leaks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let’s Dance! is a great book. I loved the descriptions and illustrations for each type of dance. The book is a great way to learn about dances from different cultures. The shoes, outfits and hairstyles of the dancers were fantastic. I liked that the book was written in rhyme and there was even a dancer in a wheelchair. My first graders also loved it! I won this book in a giveaway by the author.

[Lauren Kerstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I loved this book so much. Energy, joy, and movement leap off the page. The sparse text packs a powerful punch. The illustrations and text are beautifully paired. I loved learning about different types of dance in the back matter. I highly recommend this joyful, informative, and enriching book!

[Danielle Hammelef · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lyrical text and bright, motion-filled illustrations make this an excellent book to read aloud and have fun while learning about dances from around the world. I don't think kids will be able to sit still after reading this book. The back matter has more details about the origins of each dance featured.

[Melissa Stoller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Valerie Bolling's lovely rhyming story highlights dances from around the world, and beautiful, vibrant illustrations perfectly complement the text. I love the pages that says, "Jiggity-jig. Zig, zag, zig." Back matter explains all the dances. Young readers will love dancing along with the characters in the story and may want to make up some of their own moves too!

[Jolene Gutiérrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let's Dance is GORGEOUS--the words/story/information about the dances from around the world are beautiful and the illustrations are lovely. I appreciate that Let's Dance represents various cultures, traditions, genders, body types, and abilities. This book is obviously the result of much thought and work. Let's Dance belongs in classrooms, libraries, and homes everywhere! Highly recommended!

[Charlene Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes me wiggle and giggle and move! There's so much in this fun book to love and inspire. I appreciate the inclusiveness too (gender, abilities, ...) just like I see in my dance classes & dancing world. Very worth picking up and sharing as gifts, or at least making certain your library carries it! Spread the joy.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun rhyming book features 10 different dancers enjoying a variety of dances. The cultures represented is a wonderful display of beauty and fun across the globe. Kids will enjoy seeing the rhyming words cascade across the pages as well as the dance costumes. There is a helpful explanation at the end of the book for all the dances featured. Highly recommended for Grades K-2.