Dancing with Daddy

by Anitra Rowe Schulte, Ziyue Chen (Illustrator)

Elsie can’t wait to go to her first father-daughter dance. She picked out the perfect dress and has been practicing swirling and swaying in her wheelchair. Elsie’s heart pirouettes as she prepares for her special night. With gestures, smiles, and words from a book filled with pictures, she shares her excitement with her family. But when a winter storm comes, she wonders if she’ll get the chance to spin and dance her way to a dream come true.

Genres: Picture Books, Family, Disability, Childrens, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Storytime

39 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 2021

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cuteness Overload?

This is such a cute book. The little girl, Elsie, is just adorable.

The story is about Elsie going to a father-daughter dance.

Elsie uses a wheelchair because she has a chromosomal abnormality that affects her walking and her speech. But she doesn’t let that stop her.

Like any other girl she is practicing her dance moves for the big night. She is working hard on her moves.

But unfortunately a big snow storm is happening. Will it spoil the big night?

The three and five-years-old barely notice the wheelchair, so I didn’t elaborate on her illness.

Highly recommended!

Five fantastic stars. 💫💫💫💫💫

[Ceecee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anitra Rowe Schulte writes this from her heart as her daughter has Wolf-Hirschorn Syndrome like Elsie in the book which she explains in the preface. The lovely illustrations help younger readers to understand Elsie’s reality. I especially like Elsie’s dreams and the gorgeous relationship with her sisters which makes for such positive and joyous reading. It actually moves me to tears especially towards the end. This is absolutely beautiful and heartwarming, it’s inclusive as it educates and entertains. A highly recommended read for younger children which could lead to some thoughtful discussion.

Amazon Prime First Read - November 2021

[Bookishrealm · Rating 5 out of 5]

CUTE!

Based on the authors own experience with a daughter that has WHS, Dancing With Daddy follows Elise as she chooses a dress for her first father daughter dance. Readers will note that she’s extremely nervous because she wants everything to be perfect. Fortunately, for both her and the reader it’s so much more than that. With beautiful artwork and storytelling, this isn’t one that you want to miss. I highly recommend reading the authors note as it explains certain decisions the author made and speaks to the diversity in the book.

[This Kooky Wildflower Loves a Little Tea and Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful! Beautiful! Beautiful!

Elsie's excited for her school's father-daughter dance. Her dreams come true with the perfect dress and dance moves shared between her and her father.

The story's incredibly realistic and inclusive. We see Elsie using accommodations to communicate and live a normal life with her family. Throughout the pages, joy and support surround her, leading to a cherished moment in her life.

Absolutely a must-have in classrooms, libraries, and reading supports everywhere. 5/5

[Janet C-B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful children’s picture book about a little girl who is wheelchair bound and dreams the dreams of any child. Elsie dreams of going to the father-daughter dance with her dad. The illustrations are superb and clever. They show aspects of Elsie’s disability which are not emphasized in the text.
I highly recommend this book to readers of all ages. I know 3 families who have children/adult children with varied disabilities - Spina Bifida, Down’s Syndrome and traumatic brain injury. All are incorporated into family life to the fullest extent with acceptance of family members. It starts at home. The parents are strong advocates of inclusion.
On the level of a child readers, it exposes a children to varied aspects of disabilities, which they might not be aware of. It also highlights how a disabled children is able to live life to their fullest with accommodations and acceptance.
I read this book as a pre-release Amazon Prime book. It is well worth purchase.
5 stars

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, this heartwarming, inclusive picture book tells the story of Elsie who can’t wait to go to her first daddy-daughter dance. She’s picked out the perfect dress and headband and practiced all her swaying, swirling, twirling dance moves in her wheelchair. But when a big snowstorm occurs, Elsie wonders if the wintry weather will ruin her special night.

Inspired by the author’s own daughter, Elsie has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. The story takes readers through Elsie’s timeline as she prepares for the dance and introduces us to the tools that help Elsie eat, move, and communicate.

Be sure to read the author’s note at the beginning of the book. With dazzling undies and end pages, look for this one to publish October 26, 2021.

Thank you to the author and publisher for sharing an early copy for #bookexpedition to read and review.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elsie is super-excited for her first Daddy-Daughter dance. She has a sparkling dress with a matching hair bow and has practiced dancing with her sisters. She can’t wait for the special night, but it has been snowing all day. Will the dance get canceled?

[Medeia Sharif · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and gloriously illustrated picture book featuring a girl with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and the sweet bond she has with her father. Will she get to dance with him after her efforts of dress buying and practicing with her sisters when a snowstorm is looming? I bought the Kindle edition and the author’s note is in the front, rather than the back, and it has a thorough and succinct explanation of Elsie’s syndrome.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable

Dancing with Daddy is simply precious. The illustrations are beautiful and the text is divine. Get a copy as soon as you can

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Dancing with Daddy, written by Anitra Rowe Schulte and illustrated by Ziyue Chen, a heartwarming tale of a dance, a dress, and the love between family.

Elsie can’t wait for the upcoming father-daughter dance! She’s picked out a dress that matches her daddy’s soccer jersey, complete with sparkly bow, and her sisters have helped her find her dancing groove. Unfortunately, the snow keeps coming down all night, and Elsie is scared that the dance will be cancelled. Will Elsie get her chance to spin and swirl with her sisters and Daddy?

Beautiful. This simple, lovely tale of family togetherness is made all the more impactful by its protagonist, Elsie, who is nonverbal and uses a wheelchair. Elsie’s disability is never treated as a spectacle, instead presenting aspects of daily life for her special needs matter-of-factly and without fanfare. She uses a communication book as well as a feeding tube, has loving and affectionate relationships with her able-bodied sisters and parents, and expresses her complex inner thoughts to the audience through italics in the text. This approach marvelously creates a special-needs main character that readers both disabled and able-bodied can connect and empathize with without exploiting her disability for dramatic effect. Chen’s artwork is tender, expressive, and colorful, though suffers the slightly flat aspect of much computerized illustration. The length is perfect for a elementary-aged storytime, and JJ absolutely loved seeing someone else who uses visual aids to help with speech. At its heart, this is a simple family story, but its unique main character elevate it to a must-read. We loved it, and its Baby Bookworm approved!

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by a representative of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elsie can’t wait to dance with her daddy, but a snowstorm threatens to cancel their big day. After a day of shopping for the perfect dress, all Elsie can think (and dream) about is her evening of dancing. It’s her first father-daughter dance and she has been practicing her dance moves in her wheelchair. You see, Elsie has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and lives mostly in a wheelchair, and communicates through a book with pictures.

In the story, Elsie’s thoughts are defined with a colored font so readers can imagine what she is thinking even when she can’t verbally express herself. Elsie’s character is based on the author’s own daughter and she hopes this book helps children reading this book understand that kids with different abilities like to do the same kinds of things they do, like going to dances with their daddy.

The illustrations show a happy girl and her sisters excited to go to the dance. When it is just Elsie and her daddy dancing, everyone else disappears, and Elsie realizes this is just as wonderful as she dreamed it would be. Every little girl that dreams of dancing with her daddy, will love seeing the joy on Elsie’s and on the faces of the other girls dancing with their daddies.

It’s rare to find books that write and illustrate with diverse characters and since the author is writing from her own family experience, great care was taken to show the characters accurately. Even down to the ruffles on Elsie’s dress “taking flight” and her frustration with getting her wheelchair stuck in the snow, Elsie is just like any other girl who is excited for a fun evening.

The author includes a note at the beginning explaining Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome and her hope for other girls to see a character in a book that is similar to them. It’s also an opportunity for other kids to understand and be willing to get to know a child who might be different from them in their school.

[Linden Seaman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful addition to any library

This is a great book. The illustrations are beautiful, the story is cute and the length for a children’s book is spot on and includes a character with a disability that doesn’t lean into toxic positivity. The adaptations that allow her access are seamlessly just part of the story and her family’s life. I appreciate that it allows representation that will allow children to ask their parents questions about disability while also seeing that peers with disabilities are just like them in many ways, just excited to get dressed up and go to a dance with their dad. Regardless of how we communicate, eat, move or otherwise complete tasks we are all people trying to enjoy life. It’s a great addition to your classroom or your home library that normalizes inclusion of disabled individuals in their community.

[Charlotte Offsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elise can’t wait for the father-daughter dance but worries that it will be canceled due to an impending winter storm. This heartwarming story highlights the special bond between a father and daughter while also helping to normalize children who are differently abled. Elise has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome (WHS) and while the story centers on Elise and the father-daughter dance, we see that Elise eats, speaks and dances a little differently from her peers. The book includes an informative and touching note from the author whose own daughter has WHS. I highly recommend checking out this heartwarming story.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's rare to see picture books that have children in wheelchairs as a main character. In this book, a charming girl named Elsie has been practicing dancing in her wheelchair for a fun school outing for a long time. But what if the weather cancels her dance?
Great book!

[TL *Humaning the Best She Can* · Rating 4 out of 5]

*read for free with Kindle Unlimited *

🎨 artwork: 4 stars 🌟 🤩

Such a sweet and wonderful story ❤️

[Rina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awww, how can you not melt reading this story? I love the representation, the heartfelt story, and the daddy-daughter relationship. We need more inclusive stories like this.

[Cyndee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written straight from the author’s heart. This book captures every feeling of the special young lady who is so entirely winsome.

[Alex Baugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's her first father-daughter dance and Elsie is just so excited, but first things first - picking out the perfect party dress to wear. Elsie is sure the red polka dot dress that matches daddy's soccer jersey is just right for dancing along and paired with the matching pretty red polka dot bow for her hair.

Hopefully, the snow that began to fall just as Elsie and her mother left the store will stop in time for the dance. At home Elsie's sisters Daphne and Rosalie are just as excited about her dress and the dance as she is. By the next morning, though, there is even more snow but happily Elsie's mom says the dance is still a go. The three sisters spend the day practicing their dance moves for later that night.

Finally, it's time to go. Elsie's mom helps her get dressed and fixes her hair and off Elsie, Daphne, and Rosalie go with daddy to the dance. And what a dance it is - just like Elsie had dreamed it would be, except better.

Dancing with Daddy could be the story of any young girl going to her first dance, and it is, but with one exception - Elsie has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS) and must use a wheelchair to get around, a tablet using Pragmatic Organization Dynamic Display (PODD) to communicate, and usually is fed using a plastic tube to push food into her stomach, although she can taste some blended food like applesauce and pudding.


And even though she is in a wheelchair, after her father reads the story of the nutcracker to her, Elsie still dreams about dancing and doing pirouettes.


Anitra Rowe Schulte was inspired to write Dancing with Daddy by her own daughter who has WHS. And she has worked Elsie's disability into this story so seamlessly, showing readers that Elsie is part of a supportive Asian American family and telling her story in language that makes it easy for young readers to understand Elsie's disability.

The illustrations are colorful and delightful and Ziyue Chen relies on facial expressions to indicate Elsie's feelings and moods, while Schulte relies on change to color of the text to red for Elsie's thoughts.

Dancing with Daddy shows readers how one family has embraced a child's disability and that it isn't a reason for kids to miss out on many of life's pleasures. This is also a wonderful example of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop's windows and mirrors theory, in which some children will see their lives and experiences reflected back at them, while other will learn about those who are different from themselves. However, I would recommend reading the Author's Note at the beginning of the story to really understand Elsie and her life. Schulte provides a very accessible explanation of what WHS is.

This book is recommended for readers age 6+
This book was gratefully received from Barbara Fisch at Blue Slip Media

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elsie is so excited for the upcoming Daddy-Daughter dance. She's been practicing forever twirling in her wheelchair. She and her mom go shopping for the perfect dress. Elsie is nervous though that a winter storm may cancel it. Don't worry, Elsie will get her wish to dance with Daddy in her perfect dress that compliments his Jersey. She just hopes it twirls right. She may even get some cake. Don't forget the important headband. Will the dance with Daddy be everything Elsie hoped for?

The illustrations by Ziyue Chen and the text by Anitra Rowe Schulte (who is a mother of a child like Elsie) gives a heart-warming story of family and showing that no matter who you are or your "abilities" or "disabilities", that kids just want to be kids, have fun and dream. There's nothing more powerful than that love.

Also if you know nothing or little about Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, look it up. This is such a great story that will tug at your heart and provide a great conversation discussion, give a glimpse into someone else's world, and show that love is universal.
One of my favorite picture books so far from 2022!

[Jackie C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Dancing with Daddy is a picture book written by Anitra Rowe Schulte and illustrated by Ziyue Chen. It was published in 2021. It is one of the 2022 Dolly Gray Children’s Literature award winners. I found this book on the Dolly Gray awards’ website. I checked this book out from my local library and read it in hardcover.
The book Dancing with Daddy, is about a little girl, Elsie, getting ready to go to a father-daughter dance at her school with her daddy. Elsie’s mom helps her pick out a new dress. Then, she goes home and gets ready with her sisters to go to the dance. Elsie is in a wheelchair and uses a communication device, but she does not let that stop her from going to the dance and having a great time dancing with her Daddy and her sisters.
Since this is a realistic fiction book the illustrations are lifelike. The paintings have details right down to the drawings on Elsie’s communication device. The paintings all show the characters and the background is the setting so the illustrations take up the whole page and are very colorful. Chen, the illustrator, even includes a double page spread. A double page spread is a single picture drawn across two pages and signals a moment to ponder the events (Temple et al., 2019). In this case, the double page spread occurs when Elsie is dancing with her daddy and I think it is done to emphasize the absolute joy she feels getting to dance with him.
This book is diverse in that it is written about a girl with multiple disabilities. Elsie uses a wheelchair, a communication device, and has a feeding tube. However, the book shows how Elsie is just like everyone else. She is excited to get dressed up and she has fun at the dance. This book normalizes having a disability because Elsie is just another member of the family along with her parents and her sisters. She may do some things in a different way, but this book really shows how everyone is unique and important.
One strong literary element of this text is the theme. This is a sweet story about a girl who cannot wait to go to a dance with her father, but it shows how people with a disability can do the same things as people who do not have a disability. This theme is very important as children learn to accept all people and their unique abilities.One weak element is the setting. The setting is only depicted through the illustrations, but is not really mentioned throughout the text. I would have liked the author to describe the dance a little more and everything Elsie saw when she finally arrived. I think a more detailed setting would have enhanced the story.
This book is geared toward younger kids, which I love, because I think it is important for children to read books about people with diverse abilities, especially if they have never met someone like Elsie before. Normalizing disabilities and promoting acceptance should start at a young age. I think this book would be most appropriate for ages 3-8 or about grades PreK-2. I would use this book as a read aloud and a way to start the conversation around different types of people and people with disabilities. My goal would be to help students see that people may look different and do things in a different way, but they should still be included and respected by all. I could also use this book to talk about how Elsie prepared for the dance she was so excited to attend and have students think about something they are excited to do and how they would prepare for it.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love seeing books involving people with disabilities. We focus so much on race with windows/mirrors when in all actuality, there are others who want to see themselves represented as well. To anyone who has a child, or knows someone, in a wheelchair or is non-verbal, this book is a MUST. However, it is also a great book to remind children who are "typical" that those with differences enjoy the same things that they do.

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elsie is thrilled that soon she will be going to a dance with her Daddy. She's been practicing swaying in her wheelchair and she's picked out the perfect dress. Using a book filled with pictures and with gestures and smiles, Elsie lets her family know how excited she is. But then comes the snow...will the dance be cancelled?

Dancing with Daddy is a beautiful story of the joys of going to a dance for a child.

[Emmalee Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. Not only does this book represent a main character with a disability, it also shows the character participating in activities that people might not think they are capable of. This story was a beautiful representation of a parent and child's love for each other. I love how this story did not focus on her disability. It was focused on her emotions and thoughts about the upcoming dance.

[Tori Mastropietro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book was a great read and would read it to my classroom. It is important to include books that portray every kind of person. What I liked most about this book was that the illustrations and author did show that Elsie had to do things differently than others, but that she could still do them nonetheless. She could still eat the noodles for dinner. She could still wear a beautiful dress for the dance. She could still dance with her daddy! The book shares the great message that there is a different way of doing things.

[Tierni McGuire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dancing with Daddy is a wonderful book that sheds light on life with a disability. I think it's extremely important for authors to create a story that shows young children real life scenarios and what other people may have to go through in life. Anitra Rowe Schulte did a fantastic job at showing how children with disabilities are just the same as everyone else, they just have more difficulties in their daily life than children without disabilities.

[Taylor Baughman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dancing with Daddy is about the main character Elsie. Elsie has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome which makes it hard for her to walk and talk. In the book, we see Elsie getting ready for a dance with her father. At first, Elsie was scared the dance would get canceled because it was snowing outside. The dance ended up happening, and Elsie and her father went to the dance together. Elsie uses a special book that has pictures and words in it, to communicate. This is such an amazing book that would be great in a diverse classroom library.

[Elyssa Imler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very cute. It is very inclusive and gives readers a look at the life of somebody who needs a wheelchair and the accommodations they have to make. Elsie's enthusiasm and good attitude is inspiring to readers. The illustrations were engaging and kept the story interesting and helped to show the emotions being felt by the characters. I like how this book lets the readers know that anything is possible no matter the obstacles you face in life.

[Megan Cleer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this read! It was so amazing to see a book that focused on a girl with disabilities because there are not as many books out there like this one. I am sure that other children with disabilities, and even those without, loved this book just ask much as I did! Lovely story, and I will be adding this to my future classroom library!

[Mackenzie Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Dancing with Daddy by Anitra Rowe Schulte is a excellent book that demonstrates people who have disabilities are still people that could use just a little bit more help. Elsie is in a wheelchair and when snow fall came she was scared she would be unable to get out and go to the dance, this did not stop her.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute picture book about a little girl excited about a father-daughter dance. Her wheelchair and accommodations are just part of her life so it’s a nice inclusive story Text and illustrations are fine.