When Nana Dances - by Jane Yolen & Maddison Stemple-Piatt (Hardcover)

About the Book

This lively story will leap into the hearts of kids and their grandparents alike as it celebrates intergenerational relationships in lively, rhyming text. Nana can make any object a dancing partner. An umbrella, a broom, even a rake! Both onstage and off, she can shimmy, she can mambo, and do the bunny hop. She's won prizes and can dance to grandpa's music or to her own beat. But nothing is more special than when grandma dances with her grandchildren. This fun story is filled with the movement, energy, and laughter that comes when kids dance with their grandparents.

Book Synopsis

This fun story is filled with the movement, energy, and laughter that comes when kids dance with their grandparents.

This lively story will leap into the hearts of kids and their grandparents alike as it celebrates intergenerational relationships in rhyming text. Nana can make any object a dancing partner--an umbrella, a broom, even a rake! Both onstage and off, she can shimmy, she can mambo, she can do the bunny hop. She's won prizes and can dance to grandpa's music or to her own beat. But nothing is more special than when grandma dances with her grandchildren.

Review Quotes

The grandmas in this buoyant picture book love to dance (whether it's tap, ballet, or the bunny hop), and their grandchildren love to join the fun... The colorful, jaunty illustrations feature four ethnically and culturally diverse women alternating as Nana, while the first-person text expresses their grandchildren's thoughts and feelings. The depiction of grandparents has become less stereotypical over the years, and Burris portrays the grandmas here as fit, active women who take joy in dancing and in sharing the fun. A lively appreciation of dance as it raises the spirits and binds generations together.-- "Booklist"

An ode to dancing grandmothers from a range of backgrounds, this picture book celebrates the fun that Nana creates, whether she's shake-a-shaking, shimmying, or doing the salsa. Yolen and her first grandchild, Stemple-Piatt, who both trained in ballet from a young age, join forces for this dance-centered narrative... A cadenced celebration of grandparent-grandchild relationships.-- "Publishers Weekly"

About the Author

Jane Yolen is the author of over 400 books for children and adults. Her books, stories, and poems have won many awards including the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, three Golden Kite Awards, and the Jewish Book Award. She lives in Hatfield, MA. Visit janeyolen.com, @Jane.Yolen on Facebook, @JaneYolen on Twitter, and @JYolen on Instagram.

Maddison Stemple-Piatt is Jane's first grandchild. Following in her Nana's footsteps, she trained in ballet from a young age. She has earned her bachelor's in Psychology with minors in Spanish and Dance, her master's in Criminology and Criminal Justice, and is currently a Juris Doctor candidate. She lives in St. Petersburg, FL.

Priscilla Burris is an author-illustrator and a member of the board of advisors for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Priscilla is represented by the CAT Agency, Inc. She lives in Southern California. Visit priscillaburris.com and @PriscillaDesign on Twitter and Instagram.