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The Last Dance
A beautiful picture book for older readers about life, death, and the enduring power of love from award-winning author and storyteller Carmen Agra Deedy.
Bessie and Ninny are the best of friends. Sometimes on milk-moon nights, Ninny throws buttons at Bessie's window. When Bessie peeks outside, Ninny "Bessie, oh Bessie! Come dance with me! For I hate to dance alone..."
Down the drainpipe Bessie slides to visit Ninny, and off they go. Most nights, they visit the grave of Ninny's grandfather, Oppa. It was Oppa who taught them three things that they will never to dance, to sing, and to tell stories. Oppah's wisdom ultimately inspires a pact between the two young friends—a pact that binds them together through love and marriage, war and separation, birth and death.
In this simple but extraordinary story, New York Times best-selling author Carmen Agra Deedy speaks to readers about the value of promises and the limitless power of love even in the face of death.
Bessie and Ninny are the best of friends. Sometimes on milk-moon nights, Ninny throws buttons at Bessie's window. When Bessie peeks outside, Ninny "Bessie, oh Bessie! Come dance with me! For I hate to dance alone..."
Down the drainpipe Bessie slides to visit Ninny, and off they go. Most nights, they visit the grave of Ninny's grandfather, Oppa. It was Oppa who taught them three things that they will never to dance, to sing, and to tell stories. Oppah's wisdom ultimately inspires a pact between the two young friends—a pact that binds them together through love and marriage, war and separation, birth and death.
In this simple but extraordinary story, New York Times best-selling author Carmen Agra Deedy speaks to readers about the value of promises and the limitless power of love even in the face of death.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1995
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About the author
Carmen Agra Deedy
29 books143 followersCarmen Agra Deedy is an internationally known author of children’s literature, a storyteller and radio contributor. Born in Havana, Cuba, she immigrated to the United States with her family in 1963 after the Cuban Revolution. Deedy grew up in Decatur, Georgia and currently lives in Atlanta and has three daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 15, 2023
It isn't a book for everyone, but a young girl and a boy go and dance at night in the moon to remember the boy's opa near his headstone, and promise to dance above the other when one of them passes. It shows their life dancing, with pictures in between with their lives, and then coming together. How they are close all their lives, they get married, and how they dance throughout life.
How he goes off to war, and their child dances, and not knowing if he will come back, but to continue the promise. There is more to this story, but I don't want to give it all away.
The idea is to dance. To live.
"He Taught Us
To Sing
To Dance
To Tell Stories"
"Bessie! Oh, Bessie!
Come dance with me!
For I hate to dance alone,
Where the old men sleep,
And the women weep,
And the wild, fey
children roam."
How he goes off to war, and their child dances, and not knowing if he will come back, but to continue the promise. There is more to this story, but I don't want to give it all away.
The idea is to dance. To live.
"He Taught Us
To Sing
To Dance
To Tell Stories"
"Bessie! Oh, Bessie!
Come dance with me!
For I hate to dance alone,
Where the old men sleep,
And the women weep,
And the wild, fey
children roam."
January 28, 2012
The Last Dance is about life, love and death and the relationship between two children who grow old together. Bessie and Ninny are best friends and they learn from Ninny's grandfather that life is a dance when they visit Ninny's grandmother in the graveyard. They make a promise to each other after Ninny's grandfather dies that they will dance on the other's grave and never forget each other.
As the years go by Bessie and Ninny marry, have a child, Ninny goes off to war where the country even needs tailors. Bessie remains home and waits for him to come home not knowing if he will.
Ninny, oh Ninny!
Come dance with me!
For I'd hate to dance alone...
This is the story of life, love and death ~ and a great book to read to children (age 6+) who have lost someone they love. There is a LOT of text so it's not one for beginning readers to read on their own ~ but if they have the attention span and you have the patience to answer questions it's a good way to let children know that life goes on and so does love.
As the years go by Bessie and Ninny marry, have a child, Ninny goes off to war where the country even needs tailors. Bessie remains home and waits for him to come home not knowing if he will.
Ninny, oh Ninny!
Come dance with me!
For I'd hate to dance alone...
This is the story of life, love and death ~ and a great book to read to children (age 6+) who have lost someone they love. There is a LOT of text so it's not one for beginning readers to read on their own ~ but if they have the attention span and you have the patience to answer questions it's a good way to let children know that life goes on and so does love.
January 28, 2011
After hearing bits of this book at the TCTELA conference as Constance Weaver presented, I ordered it at that moment during the session. It came to school today, and I am so happy I now own this beautiful story. Although it is a read-aloud, I'm not so sure I will be able to read it aloud. The illustrations are gorgeous and lend so much depth to the already poetically-told story. This is one to read and re-read.
September 10, 2013
(3.5 stars)
A boy named Ninny always asks Bessie to come dance with him at the graveyard. Even though she is scared of the graveyard, she never refuses and dances with Ninny all through their married lives until their last dance.
A boy named Ninny always asks Bessie to come dance with him at the graveyard. Even though she is scared of the graveyard, she never refuses and dances with Ninny all through their married lives until their last dance.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews