LET'S DANCE, GRANDMA!

A young fox tries to share her passion for dancing when her grandmother comes to visit. Will she succeed in getting Grandma up on her feet?

Lucy loves to dance, but Mom warns on her way out of the house that there will be “No dancing, Lucy. You’ll wear Grandma out. Grandmas don’t dance.” This does not stop Lucy from trying. Each time she tries to coax her grandmother to dance, the older fox just shakes her head. Instead, they play ball, dress-up and cards. Readers will notice the knocked-over vase of flowers, the way the grandmother nurses her aching back and her overall fatigue as she attempts to keep up with her energetic granddaughter. Lucy finally realizes that Grandma may need to rest when she finds her napping in her hiding place during a game of hide-and-seek. When Lucy requests to cuddle instead of dance, Grandma responds in a most delightful way. A sung lullaby leads to gentle swaying, and soon both are dancing, “slowly at first, but then faster, until it seemed to Lucy that the whole world was dancing.” McMullen’s appealing watercolor illustrations skillfully paint the contrast between Lucy’s perky enthusiasm and Grandma’s careful movements.

This intergenerational story has an ending sure to satisfy.