Chapter book, 43 pages.
Once Upon a Dance donates all proceeds to charity.
Daryl’s ordinary life takes an adventurous turn when fairies cast their magic.
Kids dance along with the story characters and a professional ballet dancer in this interactive story designed to get kids up and moving. Ballerina Konora joins the pages with photos and suggestions for movement exploration.
Three books in one: readers can enjoy the story, act out the tale in their own way, or try Konora’s suggested activities, designed by an award-winning ballet teacher to develop body awareness and movement knowledge.
Daryl and the Dancing Dolls is ideal for kids who have had earlier series’ success or for children 6+.
It features Daryl (no pronouns), Penny (she), the dolls (10 female, 2 male), and the creatures Daryl meets on the road. Dance-It-Out!s are above level (language-wise) as they’re intended to be initially enjoyed with a caregiver/teacher. (~700+Lexile)
Movement Concepts and Dance Technique in This Story: • Second Position Grand Plié • Pivot Turns • Piqué • Twirl • Forward Stretch • Jumping • Head Isolations including Pre-Spotting (also Side-to-Side/Tilted) • Sideways Kick • Leap • Balancing on One Leg • Flexed Hands/Feet • Leg/Arm Rotation (Parallel/Turned Out) • Body Part Isolation (Fingers, Thumb, Shoulders, Leg, etc.) • Coordinated Movements (Skating, Climbing, Shifting Weight, Squatting, etc.) • Centering/Breath/Sighing • Small Motor Skills (Pointing, Fists, Wrist Isolation, Counting on Fingers) • Muscle Activation • Counted Movement • Quality of Movement (Smooth/Sharp, Slow/Fast) • Showing Emotion (Surprise, Excitement, Fear, Interest, etc.) • Shapes (Wide/Tall, Bend/Straight) Main elements include Fairies, Magic, Ice Skating, Trucks, Helping Others, and Developing Friendships.
This movement journey is ideal for dance, creative movement, physical education, homeschool, kindergarten, first-grade, or second-grade activities. The book features diverse characters. Dance-it-Out! books make a great gift for boys or girls interested in dance, ballet, gymnastics, or yoga, or reluctant readers who enjoy getting up and moving.
My review
This book is an excellent choice for kids who enjoy expressing themselves through dance.
Its joyful message about having fun and being positive will resonate with young readers, and the inclusion of Ballerina Konora’s movement exploration suggestions will inspire them to act out the story and create their own dance routines.
This book offers a fun and imaginative way to encourage creativity and physical activity.
💜💜💜💜/5
About the authors
Once Upon a Dance is an award-winning mother-daughter collaboration.
Ballerina Konora climbed the ballet ladder to pro, and she’s thrilled to be living her dreams dancing with Ballet Idaho. Along the way, she danced iconic roles such as Sugar Plum Fairy and Cinderella.
Teacher Terrel taught dance for decades and was honored by her City Council for “embodying the spirit of partnership and commitment to children in our community” for her work with young dancers. She’s breathed ballet from every angle and worked in early childhood education, for non-profits supporting kids, and as a university English teacher as a Peace Corps volunteer.
Once Upon a Dance 2021/2022 Awards: Mom’s Choice Gold Award, Family Choice Award, Royal Dragonfly First Place, PenCraft Award First Place, Firebird First Place, Pinnacle: Best Book Juvenile Fiction, Independent Press Award Winner, International Impact Book Award Winner, Outstanding Creator Awards Winner, Readers Favorite Certified Great Read, Indie’s Today 5-Star Recommended, The Wishing Shelf 5-Star, Literary Titan 5-Star Award.
https://www.instagram.com/once_uponadance/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/20931758.Once_Upon_a_Dance
https://www.facebook.com/OnceUponADanceViralDancing
https://www.amazon.com.br/Once-Upon-a-Dance/e/B08PCB7FRN/
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This Post Has 8 Comments
I think this is such a cute book! I love that it gets kids excited about moving and being active. It’s got such adorable artwork, too!
Although my son is not so much into dancing, I think he would still enjoy the book. It encourages creativity which is awesome.
Daryl and the Dancing Dolls sounds like such a wonderful book for little ballerinas. I bet my daughter would love reading this book
It is always nice to hear about more chapter books for children! There are so many tweens that get into dance, I am sure this is relatable for so many kids.
Sounds like a fun read for the little ones. I would have love this when I was younger…anything to do with ballet I was obsessed with.
Anything that encourages movement or dance sounds good to me. Looks like a great book x
I sounds like a fun book for kids. My niece will love it! Can’t wait to grab it and read it with her.
My daughter is a big ballet girl. She definitely loves to dance.