A DICTIONARY OF DANCE

This introductory exploration of the world of dance offers one term, step or type of dance for each letter of the alphabet, from an arabesque to zones of the body. Each page shows the featured term in a large, darker font followed by phonetic pronunciation and a short definition. Charming illustrations in mixed-media collage include scraps of written text, music and wallpaper integrated into depictions of dancing children with long, skinny limbs and simply drawn faces that convey an earnest simplicity. Though the selection of terms is wildly wide-ranging, overall the choice of vocabulary gives a glimpse of the dance world, including different kinds of dance, some French ballet terms, a few musical terms and some stage terms. The dancing children are of all ethnicities, and boys are shown as dancers as well. Ethnic dances are represented with the Chinese dragon dance, the hula and folk dances. Though this is a beginning taste of a complex subject, it will serve well as a first look at dance for preschoolers. (Picture book. 2-4)