Giant Dance Party
Bouncy Lexy loves to dance, but because of her stage fright and dislike of recitals, she tells her parents that she’s done with it. Convinced that instructors never have to perform on a public stage, she opts to teach. She has trouble finding students and is ready to quit until five bumbling, furry blue giants with antennae show up at her door.
In this rollicking picture book, the giants shows up at Lexy’s door wanting dance lessons. Yet, giants can’t dance! Can they?
When Lexy takes on the task of teaching the gaggle of giants to dance, well, you can expect one giant dance party.
As Lexy and her giants prove… where there is a will, there is a way. Where there is imagination, there is a way. Where there is perseverance, there is a way. Where there is friendship, there is a way!
Absolutely anyone can dance. And everyone in this book does!”
ABOUT
Betsy Bird knows all there is to know about kids and books. She is the New York Public Library’s youth collections specialist, she writes a blog hosted by School Library Journal, and has served on the Newbery Medal committee. Now Betsy Bird has written a children’s book of her own, Giant Dance Party.
Brandon Dorman, an award-winning artist whose work can be found in The Wizard, and on the covers of Fablehaven and Goosebumps, brings the giants and their dance moves to life with his full-color illustrations.
GIANT DANCE PARTY
by Betsy Bird, illustrated by Brandon Dorman
PRAISE
“Strong, action-packed language and syntax that speaks directly to readers keep the tale flowing at a brisk pace and make the fantasy elements completely believable. Lexy is a charmer, full of pep and verve and enthusiasm, fully realized in Dorman’s large-scale digital illustrations as she sprightly cavorts through the pages. Sheer joy.”
—Kirkus STARRED REVIEW
“The story nicely weaves together a realistic fear with fantasy elements. The characters’ cheery personalities leap off the pages. Children will identify with Lexy and chuckle when they see the giants dancing.”
—School Library Journal
ISBN: 9781338566345 / 32 pages
Ages: 4–8
Author’s agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management
SADLY, GIANT DANCE PARTY IS OUT OF PRINT
Behind The Scenes with Betsy!
I was a new children’s librarian living in New York City, working in the Jefferson Market Branch (which is essentially a castle).
I’d started a blog called A Fuse #8 Production and it had gotten a fair amount of attention, which was lovely. I had all sorts of little series on there, including an annual award I’d give to the Best Cover of a Children’s Book. Twice in a row it had actually gone to the same guy: Brandon Dorman. After the second time it happened, Brandon reached out to me.
Bear in mind that at this point he was a New York Times bestselling illustrator (for his work on the picture book The Wizard by Jack Prelutsky). Brandon had a proposal for me: Why don’t we make some picture books together? He had only one idea. He wanted to draw giants… leaping. Leaping giants? I was in.
We actually came up with three different ideas and thanks to his connections we sold one of them. Of course, when we originally envisioned the book, they were your standard giants. Warty Human. It was only in the editing process that they became the big blue furry folks you see now.
Awards & Accolades
Doggo ipsum
Adorable doggo pupperino
Waggy wags doggorino
Educator Resources
Cheese and wine say cheese brie. Stinking bishop emmental goat caerphilly say cheese hard cheese bocconcini emmental. Fromage frais melted cheese cheesy grin cheddar fromage brie rubber cheese airedale. Cow jarlsberg.
Pepper jack cheesy feet cheese triangles. Jarlsberg macaroni cheese edam cow danish fontina manchego manchego edam. Who moved my cheese blue castello jarlsberg cut the cheese stinking bishop pepper jack the big cheese cheese and biscuits. Smelly cheese bavarian bergkase feta lancashire mozzarella brie queso cut the cheese. Cheddar cheese triangles.
ADDITIONAL QUOTES
“This picture book includes such irresistible ingredients as a determined young girl, furry blue giants, and lots and lots of dancing. It begins, however, with a sign the girl has painted: I quit ballet and tap and jazz and tango and Scottish Highland dancing!
Apparently, Lexy loves to dance but hates recitals because she always freezes in fright. Dorman depicts Lexy as cartoonishly cute, with her big head and nimble body, dancing around with joy — offstage at least.
Lexy hits upon the solution of becoming a dance teacher and advertises her free services. Dorman’s versions of Lexy’s only customers — huge blue creatures with antennae, little ears, pig noses, and overpowering enthusiasm — are an unmitigated delight.
After they overcome Lexy’s reluctance to teach them, these lumbering giants inspire Lexy to dance onstage without fear or worry. In addition to the sweet outcome (a wild rumpus of sorts), librarians will note the names of Lexy’s toys: Anne, Carroll, and Moore.”
—Booklist