Shall We Dance?

January 1, 2023
A gallery of wild creatures that dance--some to attract mates, some for no known reason at all. Page portrays 15 of her brightly hued animal subjects in balletically posed pairs or larger groups but leaves 16 more to strut their stuff alone--which is particularly disappointing when she writes so enticingly of how, for instance, blue-footed boobies "high-step" together and a properly dazzled female calliope hummingbird will join a male in flight. Still, in brief but exact descriptive language, with occasional anthropomorphic flights (no, Asian forest scorpions probably don't actually "tango" nor humpback whales "waltz"), she tallies a great range of steps, displays, gestures, sounds, postures, and other behaviors...not all of which are exclusively performed by males (springboks of both sexes, for example "pronk"). Better yet, some, such as the prancing gait of sifakas and the synchronized leaps of spinner dolphins, aren't associated with mating and so, she suggests, may be just for fun. That observation plus naturalistic portraits, digitally rendered and resembling collages, add further bounce to her terpsichorean premise. (This book was reviewed digitally.) A high-stepping reminder that we aren't the only ones who can put on a show. (source list) (Informational picture book. 7-9)

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February 17, 2023
Grades K-2 Though people have tangoed, hopped, and tapped throughout the ages, dance isn't a singularly human pursuit. Many different species incorporate complicated steps, spins, and shimmies into their lives. The occasionally outrageous moves are used to carefully court, strategically signal, and simply locomote. The boisterous book explores dance across a huge variety of species, from thumping ostriches to cartwheeling eagles, pronking springboks to leaping mudskippers. There are flashes of wings and twists of tails, and representatives from land, sea, and air are all accounted for. Each glorious page or full spread features a creature caught mid-movement, and the digital illustrations are brimming with life and color. The splashy artwork is accompanied by an amusing description in large type and a smaller paragraph giving more detail, opening the book to a wider age range. It's terrifically entertaining as well as educational, and readers will no doubt be inspired to try out some of the marvelous moves themselves. A rollicking reveal of dance in all its fun and forms.

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June 1, 2023

Gr 2-5-Springboks pronk, cottontails tumble, and turtle tickle. Those are just some of the ways animals attract their partners. This volume provides fun and informative insights into the elaborate ways different species get the attention of the opposite sex. Each illustration is paired with a brief explanation of the behavior. Bald eagles, for example, lock talons and then cartwheel through the air, breaking apart before hitting the ground. Humpback whales twist and twirl and dive around each other. The role of courtship in sexual reproduction is handled delicately, with the text explaining that the animals need to find mates in order to have babies. Most of the animals included dance or display as part of their courtship rituals, although there are a few exceptions. Safika lemurs seem as if they are dancing as they move across the forest floor from tree to tree. A dolphin's graceful leap out of the water may be for dominance or simply playtime. Baby cranes even practice pirouettes for later in life. The illustrations are bold and colorful, displaying the animals attractively on white backgrounds. The animals, especially colorful ones like pink flamingos and orange-patterned mandarin fish, pop off the pages. VERDICT An intriguing window into remarkable animal antics that may be part of larger discussions about endangered species, protecting the planet, and the care of wildlife.-Alyssa Annico

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