7 Let’s Dance Picture Books and GIVEAWAY!

National Dance Day coming up on September 17, so this is the perfect time to kick up our heels and dance! To lead our dancing, let’s welcome author Valarie Bolling with her picture book Let’s Dance!!

Let’s Dance! by Valerie Bolling, illustrated by Maine Diaz

This rhythmic picture book showcases dances from all over the world and features children of diverse backgrounds and abilities tapping, spinning, and boogying away! From the kuku of West Africa to the cha-cha of Cuba to the step dancing of Ireland, dancing is everywhere you go. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

We are also giving away a copy of Let’s Dance! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter at the bottom! We hope enjoy National Dance Day! How will you celebrate? Thanks for sharing!

7 Let’s Dance Picture Books

A Girl Named Misty: The True Story of Misty Copeland by Kelly Staring Lyons, illustrated by Melissa Manwill

Learn how Misty Copeland, the first African-American female principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, became interested in dancing and how ballet became her passion and purpose. Misty’s story is sure to inspire young readers to achieve their dreams, even when they are faced with challenges. [chapter book, ages 7 and up]

This Is It by Daria Peoples-Riley

This book is lyrical and motivational. As a girl prepares for a dance audition, her inner self pumps her up with self-affirming words, telling her that she’s got nothing to worry about. She’s got this. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

10 Ballet Dancers by Amanda Malek-Ahmadi, illustrated by Katherine Gutkovskiy

You’ll want to dance and count along with this book. Its rhymes lead the reader to the next number, and it has back matter with a glossary of the ballet terms used in the story. Many boy dancers are in the illustrations, exemplifying that boys dance, too! The book also has a surprise ending [picture book, ages 5 and up]

From A to Z with Energy by Connie Bergstein Dow, illustrated by Gareth Llewhellin

In addition to dancing, young readers will follow along to do other movements as they learn the alphabet in this rhyming book. The back matter contains tips for parents and educators to extend the learning by using movement to teach listening, problem-solving, and other SEL skills. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

Giraffes can’t dance … until they can. This fun, rhyming book is about a giraffe who isn’t able to dance … until he hears music that inspires him to move and groove. This book exemplifies that we can all enjoy dancing when we find our music. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

Coming soon: Ride, Roll, Run: Time for Fun! by Valerie Bolling, illustrated by Sabrena Khadija (October 4, 2022)

This is another book by Valerie Bolling, illustrated by Sabrena Khadija, that celebrates movement. Children aren’t dancing in this book, but they are engaged in fun outdoor activities, including riding bikes, jumping rope, and playing basketball. [picture book, ages 3 and up]

Let’s Dance! Picture Book Giveaway

We are giving away a copy of Let’s Dance!. To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter below! We can only mail to U.S. and A.F.O. addresses.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Valerie Bolling is the author of the 2021 SCBWI Crystal Kite award-winning and CT Book Award finalist LET’S DANCE! (March 2020). In 2022 Valerie is happy to welcome TOGETHER WE RIDE (April) and RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN! (October). Sequels to these books as well as a Scholastic early reader series, RAINBOW DAYS, are slated for 2023.

A graduate of Tufts University and Columbia University, Teachers College, Valerie has been an educator for almost 30 years. She currently works as an Instructional Coach for Greenwich Public Schools and is on the faculty at Westport Writers’ Workshop. She is also a WNDB mentor and deeply immersed in the kidlit writing community, particularly involved with SCBWI, the 12X12 Picture Book Challenge, and Black Creators HeadQuarters.

Valerie and her husband live in Connecticut and enjoy traveling, hiking, reading, going to the theater, and dancing. To learn more about Valerie, go to her website  and Linktree, and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

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