LUNA LOVES DANCE

Luna loves all kinds of dance, but can she ever be a “real dancer”?

Luna twirls at Dad’s house and leaps at Mom’s. Dancing makes her world bright. On the day of her dance tryout, Luna believes that if she does well, that’ll mean she’s a real dancer. The teacher shows the class a routine, and Luna looks worried. When it is Luna’s turn, she trips. She gets up and tries again. And falls. She tries again. And stumbles. Luna watches the rest of the class do well. Her parents assure her she can still dance, but Luna thinks she will never be a real dancer. Luna keeps dancing with her family and friends, but every time they tell her she’s dancing, she counters with, “But I’ll never be a real dancer.” Finally, at her cousin’s birthday party, Luna’s song is played. Luna teaches friends to shimmy and Dad to pirouette. She does the Crazy Legs with Mom and spins and does the Rockaway with Nana and Grandpa. The “real dancer” language fades away as Luna leaps “over hard times, with joy,” on a spread full of color and laughter. This story taps into fears about being good enough and delivers a lovely message about doing what brings joy. The illustrations use color and background to highlight Luna’s moods. Luna is a brown girl with puffy hair; Mom is a blonde White woman and Dad is a Black man with a curly Afro.

Just might have readers getting up to dance.