Frances Dean Who Loved to Dance and Dance

Reviewed by: Patricia Temple - Long Island Community Library, Long Island, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 24, 2015

Review

Frances Dean, wearing her red coat and purple sneakers dances with abandon as long as no one is watching. Her audience of birds leads her to a lone girl singing in the park. This inspires Frances to share her dances, eventually with a whole park full of joyful students. Readers will benefit from the example of Frances Dean gaining the courage to share her talent for and joy of dancing. The message that anyone can make the world a little better in their own individual way is subtly delivered by a nimble dancer in purple sneakers. Lively illustrations portray the joy of dancing in nature. The palette and use of long shadows evoke the Author's Northern European surroundings. A great story to read aloud to draw out a shy reader.

Overall Book Score: very good