Stage Fright! Clark the Shark and the School Sing by Bruce Hale

Clark the Shark, the kid with the killer smile, is happy when his teacher makes an announcement.

"CLASS, NEXT WEEK IS THE SCHOOL SING!"

Clark is psyched! He begins to belt out the first line of their song, "When You're Happy and You Know It," He loves that song! Most of the class already know it, and they are soon belting it out with bravado, too!

"IF YOU'RE HAPPY AND YOU KNOW IT, CLAP YOUR HANDS...."

The teacher is pleased, but then she says...

"GOOD JOB. NOW WE LEARN THE DANCE!"

"DANCE???"

And the usually confident Clark the Shark discovers that he can't sing and dance at the same time. He turns in the wrong direction and everyone else gets mixed up. Clark is killing the rehearsals and he knows it!

"WHAT IF I MESS UP?"

Their teacher tells the class just to relax and enjoy the experience. The rest of the class seems fine with that advice. But when that curtain opens on the big night....

THEY FROZE!

Can Clark the Shark come through in the clinch?

You bet your dorsal fin he can! The show must go on, in this debut of Bruce Hale's Clark the Shark's (Level 1) Comic Books for beginning readers, Clark the Shark and the School Sing (I Can Read Comics Level 1). Illustrated by Hale's comic partner, Guy Francis, this new series is sure to be a hit with the early reader set. Kids can count on Clark the Shark to save the day in comic fashion. This one is a sure-fire winner for reading aloud before that curtain opens on a real-life class program.

The Secret Life of Veggies! Par-Tay: Dance of the Veggies (and Their Friends)! by Eloise Greenfield

The head of cabbage, sitting in the fridge,
hears the front door close,
hears the click of the key
turning the lock....

He opens the refrigerator door,
He looks out and sees in the moonlight,
his people getting into their car.....

When the folks are away.
The veggies PAR-TAY!

Cabbage is obviously the, er, head of this hoedown.

He rocks and rolls all 'round the kitchen.

Eggplant takes the piano,
Basil takes the bass.

All the dancers take their place. Green Bean hip-hops all around the scene. Baby Limas do the Toddle. Chili Peppers salsa, and their moves are hot--but Zucchini's Disco dance is cool as a cucumber.

The Sweet Potato Sisters
As sweet as pie,
Curtsy with a sigh.

Who knew that fruits and veggies do the Boogaloo?

Eloise Greenfield clearly knew they do, in her jolly veggie tale, PAR-TAY!: Dance of the Veggies (And Their Friends) (Alazar Press, 2018). With fifty years as a children's literature standout, author Greenfield still has all her moves, even adding an appendix that explains the difference between fruits (they have seeds--even eggplants and squash) and vegetables (all the rest of the plant--from roots and stems to leaves and flowers), and even those current nutritional stars--arugula, kale, and chard--take a twirl on the dance floor. Illustrator Don Tate's dancing produce add to the fun, and young readers learn to recognize what's chillin' in their own fridges. Says Kirkus Reviews, "A rousing read-aloud begging for enthusiastic performers."

Sweets for the Sweet! Bagel in Love by Natasha Wing

BAGEL LOVED TO DANCE.

IT MADE HIM HAPPIER THAN BIRTHDAY CAKE.

In spring a young man's fancy may turn to thoughts of love, but Bagel just wants to dance--and that requires a partner. Poppy Seed Roll is the peppiest bread in the basket, but she turns him down flatter than a fritter. Pretzel crisply declines the honor, rating Bagel's footwork as downright cheesy. Donut's eyes appear to grow glazed at the idea of dancing with Bagel. Matzo turns him down flat. Croissant just rolls her eyes.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO BUTTER US UP?" SHE ASKS.

But Bagel roundly ignores all their denials and heads off to Sweet City to try his luck in the dance contest.

He auditions with a tap dance in the style of famed film star Fred Eclair, but the French roll pronounces his routine stale.

But then Bagel catches a glimpse of the sweetest pastry product of all. Cupcake accepts his invitation to the dance, and they give their steps a twirl around the dance floor. It's a match made in Bakery Heaven, in Natasha Wing's latest wordplay-filled winner, Bagel in Love (Sterling Books, 2018).

Veteran author Natasha Wing, the author of the ever-popular The Night Before.... series, liberally adds a dash of freshly half-baked word wit into the recipe for this pun-filled fun read, illustrated heartily in yummy pastels with plenty of sprinkles that may leave young readers smiling but strangely craving carbs.

Other satisfying rhyming stories by Natasha Wing include The Night Before St. Patrick's Day and The Night Before Easter.

Disco Dog Rides Again! Groovy Joe Dance Party Countdown by Eric Litwin and Tom Lichtenheld

GROOVY JOE IS TOTALLY FUN.
HE'S A TAIL-WAGGING, SONG-SINGING PARTY OF ONE!

But alone is no fun, so Groovy Joe gets busy making disco dancin' music with tambourine and guitar. And soon someone answers the call:

KNOCK KNOCK!
"WHO'S THERE?"
"ONE!"
"ONE WHO?"
"TUBA DOG--TO DISCO WITH YOU!"

What else does a dancin', guitar-strummin' dog need? Well, what does every rock 'n' rollin' song need?

MORE COWBELL!

And there's a percussion-lovin' mouse with sticks and cowbell to drive the band. And it's not long before Club Joe's Groove is jumpin' with dancers. And the count grows from just Joe to quite a crowd. Is there room in the dive for all this jive? The count goes up as Joe keeps on singin'!

"DISCO PARTY BOW WOW!"

There's always room for one more at Joe's Disco in Eric Litwin's Groovy Joe: Dance Party Countdown (Groovy Joe 2) (Orchard Books, 2017). The initial co-creator of Pete the Cat, Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes, Eric Litwin offers the rhymes and rhythms for another party with that dancin' dog, Groovy Joe, adding a little lesson in counting down and up and small lesson in naming musical instruments as well. Noted artist Tom Lichtenheld provides the wiggle and the jiggle in his bright and busy illustrations, in this salute to how to be a gracious host--and how to count--with a downloadable song to get everyone to join the party and sing and swing along.

Getting It Together for School: Zombelina: School Days by Kristyn Crow

IT'S ME, ZOMBELINA!

ALL READY FOR SCHOOL!

Zombelina gets it all together--her school supplies are all stashed in her backpack, and she emerges, ready for the school bus, rather well turned out--for a zombie.

"YOU LOOK DROP-DEAD GORGEOUS," SAYS HER MOM.

In fact, Zombelina keeps it together as she break-dances down the aisle of the bus, waving at her friends.

Zombelina doesn't have to worry about slighting a friend. Her top half sits with one, while her bottom half shares a seat with another.

At school Zombelina's teacher Ms. Roth introduces a new student to the class. His name is Morty, and he's literally looking rather blue, until Zombelina raises her hand with a cheery wave.

Whoops! There goes one hand, sailing down the aisle!

But Morty fetches it from under his desk without a blink, and Zombelina chooses just the right book for silent reading--Brains! In fact, she keeps her nose in the book and leaves it there, even after Ms. Roth calls time. Zombelina sticks her nose back on just ahead of Show-and-Tell Talent Time.

Zombelina is ready. She's put together a killer-diller dance routine.

MY HIP-HOP'S TO DIE FOR!

However, her HIP-HOP ends with a PLOP! Body parts DROP! Her eyes ROLL! However, Zombelina pulls herself together like a pro.

I HOLD IT TOGETHER LIKE A REAL DANCER.

But Zombelina's break dance routine is a hard act to follow, and poor Morty has a serious case of stage fright. But Zombelina whispers to him that nobody's act can fall apart like hers! Go for it! she says. Break a leg!

The show-and-tell must go on, in Kristyn Crow's latest zombie tale, Zombelina School Days (Bloomsbury Press, 2017). Zombie tropes drop as fast as Zombelina's body parts, in this latest spoof of zombie mania for the primary school set which ends in a jolly back-to-school party in which everybody finds their own groovy moves. Caldecott artist Molly Idle's illustrations manage to make even an, er, loose-jointed zombie look graceful, and young readers will wish their show-and-tell sessions could be half as much fun as Zombelina's. "This zombie may not be able to keep her body together, but she can sure keep her head in delicate situations and be a good friend," adds Kirkus Reviews.

For more zingy zombie stories, pair this new one with any of Crow and Idle's zesty tales of Zombelina here.

Swing Kids! Dinosaur Dance! by Sandra Boynton

BOP! KIDDLY POW

!HE DINOSAUR DANCE STARTS NOW!

Watch your step with a tibbity-tapp!

Dancing with dinosaurs is the tiny-tot version of dancing with the stars! All those celebrity dinos--the brontosaurus, who makes the ground shimmy and shake, the Tricerotops who tap-dances, and the pterodactyl, the original jazzy flapper, are there for the dance contest.

Velociraptor does the Bump, while Tyranosaurus Rex dances the Stomp, and iguanodon? He does the Deedly-Dah, and everyone tries out the...

CHA CHA CHA!

Everyone is on the dance floor in Sandra Boynton's latest board book for little dancers, Dinosaur Dance! (Little Simon Books, 2016). Boynton scats the nonsense syllables that get everyone up and sashaying in her newest picture book for tots, featuring nonsense syllables and rhyming words and a pastel palette in which her lumpy, dumpity dinosaurs steal the show.

Pair up this one with Boynton's companion book, Barnyard Dance! (Boynton on Board) for
storytime assets that will make little ones dance with delight.

Boogie On Down! Dinosaur Dance! by Sandra Boynton

BOP! KIDDLY POW!

THE DINO DANCE STARTS NOW.

Sandra Boynton is back with a bouncy board book that will have kids doing the shimmy shimmy shake with the stegosaurus, and the bumpity bump with pterodactyl.

Every dinosaur, from T. Rex to pterodactyl, does the deedly doo dee and the dance is in full swing, in Sandra Boynton's Dinosaur Dance! (Little Simon, 2016).

This one is just what the dance doctor ordered to give youngsters, from toddlers to preschool graduates, moving to the beat as only Boynton knows how to do. Everyone can make up their own dance steps--the doo wah diddy and the dibiddy wah doo, and with this rhythmic little board book, if you've already read the bucolic Moo Baa La La La, it's time to get up and try the CHA~CHA~CHA!

Slip On Your Dancin' Shoes: Footloose! by Kenny Loggins, Dean Pitchford and Tim Bowers

THE ANIMALS ARE WATCHING.
TO SEE IF EVERYONE'S GONE.

GET READY FOR A PARTY,
DANCE TILL DAWN!

It's closing time at the zoo, and Big Jack the Keeper is ready to lock up, but two stealthy kids are readying themselves to be moles, not the dirt-digging kind, but the espionage sort. As the zoo-goers head out the gates, they position themselves to spy on the animals at night.

And they are in stakeout position just in time. There's a full moon rising and Big Jack broadcasts the call.

THEY'RE GONNA CUT LOOSE! FOOTLOOSE!
SLIP ON THEIR DANCING SHOES.

GEEZ, LOUISE,
THEY'RE ROCKIN' THE CHIMPANZEES!

D. J. Elephant plays funky hip-hop, and Big Jack is a regular jumpin' Jack Flash with the wolf pack in tuxes and top hats as his backing group.

Llamas in leotards plie' and rhinos do the bump. Giraffes glissade in tutus, and camels shake their humps. Ducks do the waddle, and it's time to lose those blues!

Whatever your terpsichorean preference, from the tour jete' to twist to the toddle, this is the night to strut your stuff and boogie your woogie., and even the young secret agents can't resist shaking their booties a bit with the zoo critters.

OOH WEE!
MARIE!

It's quite a show for the undercover kids, in the brand-new zoo adaptation of Kenny Loggins' Footloose: Bonus CD! "Footloose" performed by Kenny Loggins (MoonDance Books, 2016), illustrated with comic animation by Tim Bowers. The re-written rhyming text fits right in with the bright and lively comic illustrations for a rollicking and rockin' read aloud, and the accompanying CD is going to be a hot property during the cold winter months for toddler through 'tweener groups when something is needed to get the wiggles out of the kids. And, says Publishers Weekly, this book is "a fun way for parents and grandparents to ‘cut footloose’ with a new generation.”

Two Can-Can, Too! Cockatoo, Too! by Bethanie Deeney Murguia

COCKATOO.

COCKATOO, TOO?

COCKATOO, TWO?

What looks like an elegant tropical glade is really a word-play playground as a lonely cockatoo, and one more, too, become two. Yes, and a cockatoo can wear a tutu, and two can wear tutus, and two more in tutus can join the two cockatoos in tutus in a can-can.

Sure they can!

But what about a toucan? Can a toucan can-can, too?

Can a toucan in a tutu can-can? Yes, he can. But then, too, what about two more toucans in tutus? Can those two toucans can-can, too? Can they can-can two-by-two? WHOooo? asks a justly befuddled owl from the treetop.

And can two + two tutued cockatoos can-can like two + two tutued toucans can can-can? Can they all can-can to-gether?

Or can a little canary get the last word?

TOO-TOO MUCH!

Bethanie Deeney Murguia's Cockatoo, Too! (Little Bee Books, 2016) can do it all, with wonderful words that play with tongue-twisting homophone puns and irreverent rhymes amid illustrious illustrations that set it all off perfectly. Beginning with the front endpapers, delightful fronds of jungle greenery which resolve, optical illusion-style, into toucans, cockatoos, and perhaps even a canary or two, the artist proceeds with double-page spreads which reveal the stars of the show appearing slyly from the foliage to dance from page to page to the tune of a text that delights the eye, the ear, and the mind.

Murguia leaves only one question unasked: Can two cocks cock-a-doodle-and can-can in tutus, too?

Or, as Dr. Seuss* has his little straight man conclude...,

*Stop it. Stop it.That's enough, sir.
I can't say such silly stuff, sir.
                       --Fox in Socks

Pas de Deux: Flora and Penguin by Mary Idle

Flora is far from her former dance partner, Flamingo, as she laces up her ice skates and ventures onto the blue-white Antarctic ice. Right away she notices a penguin who seems interested in her swooping strokes.

Soon the two begin to glide over the ice together, a skating session that quickly turns into a lovely ballet, as the impromptu partners mirror each other's moves in synchronized dance. Wing-in-hand, they twirl, leap, and spring in perfect rapport, blending almost into one.

But suddenly Penguin breaks away and dives into a breathing hole in the ice. Flora feels rejected and hurt, turning her back on her partner, just as Penguin slips up onto the ice and offers Flora a fish she has caught as a gift. Confused, Flora hurries to set the fish free in the ice hole, and now it is Penguin who feels miffed and rejected.

But the joy of their dance draws them together, in a grand finale of a four-page gatefold, as Flora and Penguin understand each other, their differences and their common love for ballet, as they end their dance with quite a lot of flare, in Molly Idle's sequel to her 2013 Caldecott Honor Book, Flora and the Flamingo (See my 2013 review here.)

In her second book, Flora and the Penguin (Chronicle Books, 2014), Idle takes a different tack: instead of playing up the contrast between the Flora's chubby, short-legged shape and Flamingo's long, elegant lines, the illustrator points up the similar body forms of Flora and Penguin as they dance, contrasted against their different views toward what to do with a fish. It's a funny but short-lived tiff, as the two return gladly to their improvised girl-and-penguin pas de deux. Idle chooses a cool blue palette, accented only with touches of yellow, beautifully suited to the polar setting. Again, Molly Idle's artistic skills turn a tour jete' into a tour de force,, with the added fun of flaps which extend the story, showing what is happening under the ice as well as above and with her multi-page grand finale, with the fish below the ice serving as corps de ballet.

Idle's latest has earned starred reviews from School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and Common Sense Media. As Booklist says, "Rings with the real emotion of friendship found, lost, and found again... a charmer."