A cricket wants to find her own song and uses the power of imagination in this latest book in the Once Upon a Dance children’s book series.

This ambitious book, geared toward very young readers, once again combines a children’s story and dance guidebook, with lush, detailed, and slightly abstract illustrations taking center stage. The book tells the story of Sora, a cricket who’s alone among others of their kind chirping away—a “cricket orchestra”—as they can’t find their own song to sing. They embark on a fanciful quest to find the imagination that others say they lack. Every time Sora says they can’t imagine something, the character transforms into that thing, whether it’s a songbird chirping and singing or a fish making noise with underwater bubbles. Finally, when a threatening creature tells Sora that trees taste terrible, the cricket says, “I can’t imagine it’s as bad as all that” and turns into a tree. Sora realizes that in order to make the transformations stop, they just need to open their eyes; Sora is then a cricket once again but with a vivid imagination and, finally, a song to sing. It’s a lovely story, with a helpful addition: Ballerina Konora is pictured, in photographs by Dan Lao Photography, doing basic dance moves that help illustrate the action and invite readers to participate. For instance, she lifts her arms to mimic diving in water or stretches her arms and legs to “be” a tree. The movements and noises the ballerina suggests will entice many youngsters to attempt them. The story itself is appealing, although author Herbert’s text seems to play second fiddle to illustrator Partridge’s images. Still, the two create a beautiful world for Sora and their menagerie of friends to live in—and by the time the book is over, readers will probably have come up with some dance moves of their own.

A charming children’s book with valuable basic dance lessons on every page.

A little cat discovers her inner dancer in this picture book by Once Upon A Dance.

In an alley in Pirouette Pines at night, Kit the cat finds her way into a mysterious building. As she moves through the space, which is decorated with dance posters, Kit meets a magical talking mirror who declares the feline a born dancer and begins to teach her ballet (“I thought there’d be more … twirling and tiaras,” Kit complains). Night after night, Kit returns for her lessons until finally the mirror declares she is ready to twirl. When Kit returns the next night, the mirror has disappeared. In its place: a mop and bucket. Kit begins to clean, and as she cleans, she dances; as she dances, other animals gather to watch. Kit vows to share what she’s learned and opens a dance school for all the residents of Pirouette Pines. Maris’ whimsical watercolor illustrations conjure the enchanted ambience of the moonlit purple night and the enigma of the abandoned dance studio. The narrative has a classic fairy-story feel, infusing Kit’s reality with the magical elements of the story. The prose has a musical quality and leans on the illustrations for elaboration—the hard work of rehearsing ballet fundamentals is expressed through a one-page montage showing Kit in various positions. The text includes illustrated and annotated ballet choreography, adding an interactive component for budding dancers.

A magical celebration of curiosity and commitment.

A ballerina gives tips to young dancers on how to fall—safely—and use those techniques to improve their ballet in this illustrated children’s guide.

In the voice of Ballerina Konora, the text begins by explaining, “This is less of a how-to book and more of a maybe-try-this book.” In a conversational tone, Konora discusses her own history as a dancer, starting from a very falling-prone toddlerhood, describing how learning to fall helped her become a better dancer—especially as modern dance tends to use more groundwork than classical ballet. After outlining the moves that are likely to cause falls (starting pointe being a prime offender), Konora moves on to teaching readers to fall safely, offering step-by-step instructions that some might find familiar from their own dance, theater, or martial arts classes. Training to fall safely helps dancers to choreograph their own motions, drawing inspiration from nature and designing dances that tell stories, both new and familiar, through movement. As in previous books from the Once Upon a Dance series, the author strikes a conversational tone, using both the real-world experiences and the ballet persona of Konora to share advice. Some of this counsel may be counter to what students hear in their own classes, as when Konora recommends that readers work with many different teachers (Konora always couches the guidance with caveats that some teachers offer different strategies). The simple phrasing and informal tone make the writing accessible for newly independent readers and dancers. Layouts that feature graphics evoking sticky notes or scrapbook pages offer permission for young readers to make their own notes or write down their own ideas. Maris’ realistic cartoon illustrations ably capture the movements depicted in the text, adding context and humor (especially when featuring the less realistic-looking animals in tutus) to the described scenarios. The eye-catching colors and humorous scenes are sure to grab a young audience’s attention, but the solid bits of advice for nascent dancers are where the real value lies.

Authoritative advice to help young dancers see the value in falling.

Teacher Terrel and Ballerina Konora, a mother-daughter duo known as Once Upon a Dance, portray the essentials of a first dance class in this picture book.

Bella, a chicken, and her friend Quinn, a frog, are finally old enough to take their first ballet class. When they see the older students dance, they feel intimidated until they meet their teacher, Kittina, a cat, who reminds them that nobody’s that good on their first day. Kittina teaches the kids some basic positions before they practice graceful movement with scarves and try leaping in the air like a frog: “Quinn, it’s not fair, stop showing off: you ARE a frog!” Maris’ whimsical pastel-and-pencil illustrations emphasize the characters and include tiny text that adds texture; as the class practices dance positions on a white background, each is subtly labeled—arabesque, releve—like whimsical, handwritten notes. The prose is cheerful and funny, as when the class’s length is compared to “the time it takes to eat ten plates of spaghetti.” The story also offers specifics that will help future dance students know what to expect, such as the “crawl test” to make sure the clothes they wear to class won’t get in the way. Overall, the story captures a sense of excitement and wonder.

A humorous, warm, and encouraging introduction to dance.

In this installment of the Dance-It-Out! series, Herbert intertwines a story of a helpful firefly with dance movements in a delightful tale for children.

The Silver Birch Forest animals begin gathering to celebrate the solstice. The highlight of the celebration is the “Firework Fliers, a squad of one hundred fireflies who would light up the sky in a dazzling, darting, dizzying kaleidoscope”; the grand finale determines who best captures the spirit of the season. Fenix, a firefly with short wings, dreams of being a Firework Flier, but realizes that is unlikely. His best friend, Bolt, is a Firework Flier, and Fenix is ready to cheer him on. Unfortunately, Bolt drinks too much nectar and gets a bellyache. Fenix decides to step in so the show won’t be spoiled. As Fenix climbs the tree to shine at the top, he encounters a bullfrog, a spider, and an owl, all offering to help Fenix—but they really want to help themselves to a firefly snack. He eludes them, and, with the Firework Fliers, he helps to create glowing animal shapes to enchant the forest animals, including snakes, rabbits, and, finally, fireflies, with Fenix shining brightly at the top. “Everyone agreed fireflies were the perfect Spirit of the Season.” The book, a creative blend of narrative and interactive participation, encourages children to act out the tale—each portion of the story is accompanied by dance movements, with descriptions and photographs of a ballerina executing each element of the choreography. The movements involve all parts of the body, with instructions such as “flap your raven wings in the breeze” and “swish and sway like a fish.” Partridge’s illustrations, in soft, glowing colors, enrich the story beautifully, and the text is rich with imagery (“The sun had cast long shadows across the field”). A lovely message is conveyed to readers: Everyone is important, and each of us, no matter how small, can play a key part in the things we do.

A well-crafted, immersive, interactive tale for children.

Gorgeous watercolor illustrations of dancers glide across the pages of Once Upon a Dance’s guide to a healthy and positive dance career.

Terrel and Konora of the Once Upon a Dance team, along with illustrator Weston, use broad concepts and brief, digestible text to introduce concepts that will be helpful to readers pursuing dance as a profession. They make it clear that not everyone will be successful, but their sage wisdom will allow readers to have a productive journey. Interspersed among beautifully painted images of dancers practicing arabesques or performing pirouettes are helpful tips under headings such as “Show Up,” “Embrace Your Journey,” and “Listen to Your Body,” among others. The gentle narration encourages self-care, openness to criticism, and always working toward self-improvement. The authors do a great job of balancing two important concepts: being gentle with oneself and being realistic about critiques. They also urge readers to work with others as a team and to act with kindness: “Treat people with dignity and respect. You’ll be better. They’ll be better. The world will be better.” One of the book’s greatest strengths is that its wisdom is applicable in many life situations apart from dance; trying one’s best, knowing one’s limits, and prioritizing one’s health are necessary for any successful career. The full-color, painterly illustrations are beautiful throughout, although readers might wish that they displayed more inclusivity; only a few portray dancers of color, for example. The book’s overall message is that one may improve the quality of one’s craft by working on oneself, whether one is currently dancing professionally or just for fun. More diverse representation visually would have made the universality of that message clearer.

An unevenly illustrated but often lovely reminder of the wonders of hard work and believing in oneself.

This 16th installment of Once Upon a Dance’s children’s book series presents a birthday story about the value of a journey.

A White child named Frankie who lives on Anorac Island is excited about a birthday tradition. Birthday kids on Anorac can travel to a nearby island to make a wish on a magical blue feather. Frankie intends to wish to become a famous dancer. After some advice from Auntie Duke to “use your mind, body, and imagination as you wander in the wonder”; ask for help when needed; and be open-minded, Frankie heads off. In the forest, Frankie meets a talking eagle, flowers that deliver a mysterious message, a riddle-telling Tyrannosaurus rex, and a gorilla swinging from vines, all of whom help the youngster along the path. When Frankie arrives at the goal, the child realizes that wishing to be a famous dancer would mean skipping out on the journey—and the odyssey through the forest was what made the day fun. As with previous books in the series, each two-page spread features a large illustration, prose that tells the story, and a section where White ballerina Konora (her stage name) leads young readers and dancers through retelling the tale with their bodies. Most of the movements in this story are accessible, with only one challenging pose (a bridge—to mimic the archway entrance to the magical forest), which Konora guides readers through in steps. Advanced dancers can add their own, more challenging spins to the recommended movements, but beginning performers and preschool listeners may choose to stick with the descriptions, using their imaginations to act out Frankie’s adventures. Though geared toward a younger audience, some complex vocabulary words (overwhelmed, frolicked) make this a better choice for classroom reading aloud and perusing by solid independent readers. Rumińska’s digital paintings depicting Frankie are brightly colored, as opposed to the high-contrast, uncredited photographs of Konora, who wears a black leotard and leggings and moves against a white background. Both the prose and the pictures deftly avoid identifying Frankie’s gender. No pronouns are used in the text, and Frankie’s bushy, short red hair; freckles; and shorts and T-shirt give no gender cues, reinforcing that dancing is for everyone.

A strong quest tale encouraging imagination, movement, and hard work.

Konora, Terrel, and Mongodi, the team behind the Once Upon a Dance books, launch a series of illustrated how-to chapter books for kids.

This book introduces the idea of the “dance stance”—a way to stand that becomes the launching pad for all movement in ballet. The authors ably describe the visualizations one needs to form the correct posture, including weight distribution and positioning. The idea that simply standing can be hard work is introduced with a sense of encouragement: “that means you were working your muscles in a new way.” From the beginning stance, the authors introduce turning out with toe rotation into first position, shifting balance to prepare to lift one leg, and assuming relevé, or tiptoe, positions. The chapters end with more personal notes from Konora, such as an acknowledgement that ballet can be overwhelming at first but that hard work and practice makes things easier. Interspersed between the dance instructions are accounts drawn from Konora’s personal experiences; some showcase ideas about dance and stillness, and others offer helpful practice tips or notes on how good posture can serve a dancer beyond ballet. The authors use accessible vocabulary in a conversational manner, as if one is receiving instruction from a good friend. Mongodi’s realistic full-color illustrations picture the adult Konora as a girl, which may give young readers a greater feeling of kinship with her. The character’s adorable, tutu-wearing feline companion, Kittina, is a furry attention-grabber, performing ballet antics on nearly every page. The balanced use of illustrations and text keeps the content from ever feeling intimidating, and the straightforward instructions make it easy to try the postures. The authors also helpfully encourage readers to find a healthy balance between dance and other activities. The book is most suitable for those who already have some knowledge of dance, but it also offers tips that beginners may find useful.

A strong instructional guide for young dancers.

A magical tree helps a young dancer deal with bullies in this 13th installment of a picture-book series.

Andi loves dancing, but school’s a different thing. Even with a squirrel friend to keep the White child company, Andi can’t help counting the minutes until school is over. On the way to school is a beautiful tree that Andi names Gloriana. When the kid hears a voice near Gloriana that seems to say “Dance for me,” Andi decides to give it a try. After the tree responds to Andi’s dances with movements of its own, the youngster is amazed. The dancing continues to go well, but the bullies at Andi’s school only get worse when they realize the child is friends with a tree. After suggesting Andi make the tree their valentine, the bullies wander off. But Gloriana hears them, and she’s determined to win over the children without fighting. As in previous books in this series from Once Upon a Dance, each page advances the story while featuring instructions from White ballerina Konora (her stage name) on how to imitate the movements in the tale as well as perform various techniques. Because Andi practices ballet, the moves here are frequently ballet techniques, listed in French, and are best suited for use in a classroom with older kids. Ruminska’s depictions of Andi and their diverse classmates have soft, painterly outlines, and the illustrations with the tree in full bloom are particularly lovely.

An engaging ballet tale with a solid anti-bullying message.

A girl gets a magical birthday surprise in the newest movement-centered picture book from Once Upon a Dance.

Brielle is so excited for her birthday that she plans to get up early to have the longest day possible. A noise outside her bedroom door wakes her at 2 a.m., and she finds a mysterious gift: a magical birthday ball that transports her to a dance party on the moon. There, the Man in the Moon and his family serve delicious cupcakes and blue water, dancing with Brielle until she decides to go back home. When she wakes, she wonders if it was all a dream. It’s a whimsical adventure with no real conflict or message, but each page includes fun ideas for acting out the story, as ballerina Konora encourages readers to act out scenes using body movements. Sometimes these imitate the characters; others represent objects, such as the ball or fountain. Mongodi’s watercolor illustrations are eye-catching, and the small photos of movement positions are accompanied by text that’s slightly smaller than the story’s. Some positions aren’t pictured as clearly as readers might wish; the “monkey jump” is particularly hard to visualize. However, Konora’s encouraging tone stands out, showing kids that any movement can be part of a dance.

Another fun tale to act out in this series for youngsters.

A young dancer watches his baby brother summon a talented dragon in this movement-centered picture book.

Danny loves dancing. He’s excited to meet his new baby brother, Denny, hoping they can dance together. Unfortunately, the narrator relates, “it turns out babies can’t even stand! Why hadn’t someone explained this to Danny?!” Despite this setback, Danny likes to be with his cute sibling, and he’s practicing his own moves when Denny’s baby dance and talk summon a dragon. Kadessa is an excellent dance partner; she’s performed with many fantastic creatures. Soon, Danny looks forward to Kadessa’s visits so much that he’s willing to mimic Denny’s baby dance to summon the dragon himself—but mostly he waits to share the magic with his sibling. This simple story by Once Upon a Dance doesn’t deliver much conflict—Danny quickly overcomes his disappointment about Denny’s lack of movement skills—but it offers readers the idea of performing the tale. On each page, White ballerina Konora (her stage name) provides instructions, accompanied by uncredited photographs of the dancer, on how to create the poses in the illustrations. She shows how readers can mimic moving like a dragon, a troll, or a fairy. Willems’ oil pastel images, which cast Danny as a ballet dancer with brown skin and curly brown hair, embrace the tale’s fantasy and practical aspects. Some details, such as eye position, occasionally look slightly off, but these small missteps don’t undermine the whimsical story.

A clever mix of dance, drama, and storytelling.

A ballet dancer presents beginning positions and discusses body awareness in this picture book designed to get readers moving.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, a young White dancer collaborated with her mother to create videos, aiming to inspire others stuck at home to start moving. In this book by Once Upon a Dance, Konora (her stage name) recounts her ballet journey, complete with beautiful photographs of her onstage performances over the years, before launching into the types of instruction she has shared on YouTube. After providing solid warmup directions that will help kids visualize the movements, Konora describes ballet’s traditional five positions as well as basic instructions for performing pliés. Then she calls for readers to create shapes with their bodies, using their imaginations to mimic animals or fashion other poses. The clear, white backgrounds put the images of Konora in stark relief, and the lighting underscores each position’s details. Pages at the beginning and end offer students other shapes to mimic, and Konora urges readers to invent their own. The small font and frequently text-dense pages may intimidate newly independent readers. But confident readers and parents can use the work as a prompt to move in new ways. Konora emphasizes that “Dance is for everyone!” and encourages awareness: “Always be gentle with your body. Don’t do anything that hurts.” With constant support and innovative descriptions that will spark imaginations, Konora invites readers to share the joy of dancing.

A superb tool for young dancers, full of accessible poses to mimic.

A ballerina leads young dancers in movements that complement a tale about a kangaroo who loses his jump in this picture book.

Joey the Kangaroo is friends with everyone at Funville Zoo, but something makes him sad: He can’t remember how to jump. He tries many things, but he just can’t figure it out. Finally, on a quest to remember how jumping works, he peeks into the windows of a theater where dancers practice jumps. Joey finally finds his jump and discovers a fellow jumper—a frog named Juniper—who becomes his pal. Joey’s story stands alone, especially accompanied by Tkachenko’s beautiful, realistic colored-pencil drawings. But the tale is further enhanced by small callout boxes on each page in the voice of White ballerina Konora (her stage name), who guides children in movements that match this story by Once Upon a Dance. She encourages youngsters to act out the emotions, poses, or actions in a scene, using conversational language to engage readers: “Imagine you’re Joey and don’t know how to jump. How would you figure out which body parts to use?” The author’s photographs of Konora’s poses are clear and easy to imitate, even for beginners. Her stretches, positions, and—of course—jumps are well enough contained for an indoor activity. Movers should pair this book with Dancing Shapes (2020), which also features Konora, to help them practice using their bodies to tell tales.

An innovative use of dance and storytelling for a fun, child-focused activity.

This new Dancing Shapes series entry by mother-daughter team Once Upon a Dance offers more mindful ballet practices for young dancers.

Ballet dancer Konora describes her experience as she waited to hear back on whether she’s earned a professional dancing position and offers accounts of her young performances onstage and in competition as a student. Using examples from her past, she talks about having a good attitude, even under stress, and uses this concept to introduce the dance position called attitude.As in previous books, Konora describes warmups, poses, and positions in some detail, although here she helpfully refers back to past series entries rather than repeating herself. Once again, she emphasizes doing what feels right and not pushing too hard. As she teaches the attitude position, she emphasizes a “brain-to-foot connection” and portrays the leg movement while sitting and standing.The clear, full-color photos of her demonstrating each position against a white background make the movements easy to understand for aspiring and more experienced dancers. Some of the shapes are a bit more advanced and include prudent advice to take them slowly as well as encouragement: “It can be fun to have a challenge and make small progress toward your goals.” Other photos show Konora and her friends performing; most of the dancers are White and female.

Another valuable tool for young dance students.