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Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Marias Movers, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 19 of 19
1. Are You Having a Polar Bear Morning?
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 4/1/2013
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Lauren Thompson, Stephen Savage, Maria's Movers, Picture Books for Dance Class, Follow the Leader, Polar Bear Night, Polar Bear Morning, Friendship, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Each month I recommend a picture book for dance educator Maria Hanley to use in her creative movement classes in New York, and then we both share our experiences with the book. Polar Bear Morning by Lauren Thompson and Stephen Savage was our March pick. Read more about it here, and then hop over to Maria's Movers to see how Maria used the book with her students!


We don't get much snow where I live, but we did happen to have the most beautiful snow of the season just a couple weeks ago. I was initially worried about choosing another wintery book for my monthly collaboration with Maria, but I'm not feeling so bad anymore since so many of us had our fair share of cold "polar bear" mornings in March. 

Polar Bear Morning, written by Lauren Thompson with pictures by Stephen Savage, was published in January of this year by Scholastic Press. In the spirit of winter, the book's text is quite "cool" and calming, as is the color palette of gray, blue, and white with an occasional splash of orange, brown, or red.

The book's theme and structure remind me in some ways of the picture book Fluff and Billy, which Maria and I featured on our blogs in February. Both books are about friendship -- the friendship of two penguins in Fluff and Billy and of two polar bear cubs in Polar Bear Morning. Both also involve some follow-the-leader behavior as the sets of friends scamper and play in the snow. 

The language in the two books, however, is very different. Fluff and Billy is told in a very direct way, with few words. Polar Bear Morning provides much more description, detail, and imagery...

The morning is chill and bright.
From her cozy den, a polar bear cub peeks out 
at the snow and ice and clear blue sky. 

The little bear hears the seagull's faraway call.
She sees the sparkling snow. 
She clambers out into the day.

The imagery in the book is what makes it a good choice for creative movement in my mind. Even in the opening lines, words like "cozy" and "sparkling" and "clambers" make me want to move in new and interesting ways. I hope they inspire others to move in new ways, too. I realize that small children might not know the meaning of words like "clamber" yet, but it's never to early to learn, right?

Another element of the book that might inspire movement is the reappearance of the seagulls, which are introduced in the book's opening lines. The gulls "call" out several times during the book, almost like they are asking the bear cubs to follow them. This makes me think that it would be fun to experiment with different sounds and how students respond to them in movement. In other words, what do the different sounds ask them to do? 

In many ways the book also lends itself well to partner dances. As I mentioned earlier, the polar bears do a lot of movements using a follow-the-leader format. But the illustrations also show them doing some movements together, especially at the end of the book when they really solidify their friendship. 

So many options for this book! Let's find out here which one Maria chose. And if you like Polar Bear Morning, you should also check out its award-winning companion Polar Bear Night -- another great choice for a creative movement class!

2 Comments on Are You Having a Polar Bear Morning?, last added: 4/11/2013
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2. Follow the Leader with Fluff and Billy
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 2/28/2013
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Maria's Movers, Fluff and Billy, Maria Hanley, Nicola Killen, Picture Books for Dance Class, Friendship, Winter, Snow, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Each month I recommend a picture book for dance educator Maria Hanley to use in her creative movement classes in New York, and then we both share our experiences with the book. Our February book was Fluff and Billy by Nicola Killen. When you're done reading about the book here on my blog, stop by Maria's Movers to see what kind of movement it can inspire!


When my girls were younger, they really liked to play follow the leader, and I sometimes used this to my advantage. At bedtime, I could usually get them to go upstairs for bed if I did some super silly moves going up our staircase and asked them to follow along.

Fluff and Billy, published a few months ago by Sterling Children's Books, is a book about friendship and overcoming disagreements. But what made me think it would be a great book for creative movement classes is that the text and illustrations also inspire a good game of follow the leader!

"I'm climbing up!" said Fluff.
"I'm climbing up!" said Billy. 

"I'm sliding down!" said Fluff. 
"I'm sliding down!" said Billy.

Fluff''s a little bigger than Billy, and he's the one who seems to be the leader. When he climbs and slides, Bill follows along. When he screams, swims, splashes, runs, and jumps, Billy follows along again. But, when Fluff decides to roll a snowball, Billy doesn't quite follow along. Billy decides to throw the snowball at Fluff, and it hits Fluff hard enough to knock him down.

Just like when young friends or siblings play together a lot of the time and then have a fight, Fluff and Billy don't talk to each other for a while -- or at least for a few spreads of the book! Eventually, though, they make up and the book ends on a happy note.

The illustrations of Fluff and Billy are darling, and I love the simplicity of the color palette that was used to create them -- shades of black and gray for their bodies and and orangish red for their beaks and feet. The backgrounds on every page of the book are a mix of white, blue, and yellow. I love books that use unique fonts, and this book does that, too.

If you want to see a few of the spreads from the book, you can see them here on Nicola Killen's website. And if you're curious to see whether Maria played a game of follow the leader with her young students this month, I hope you'll check out her post here.

My girls are six and eight now, and I haven't tried follow the leader with them in a while. They are actually getting pretty good at going upstairs on their own and at least getting the bedtime process started. It might be fun to surprise them with another game of follow the leader up the staircase one of these days, though. And I might even have to follow it up with a reading of this delightful book!

0 Comments on Follow the Leader with Fluff and Billy as of 2/28/2013 9:27:00 AM
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3. Mouse's First Snow Melts My Heart
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 2/1/2013
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Snow, Lauren Thompson, Picture Books about Winter, Maria's Movers, Buket Erdogen, Picture Books for Dance Class, Mouse's First Snow, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Every month I recommend a picture book for dance educator Maria Hanley to use in her creative movement classes in New York, and then we both share our experiences with the book. Our January book was Mouse's First Snow by Lauren Thompson and Buket Erdogan. Don't forget to stop by Maria's Movers to see how Maria used the book in her classes! 


When my girls were really young, the Mouse's First books by Lauren Thompson and Buket Erdogan -- including Mouse's First Snow -- were some of my favorites. I loved the simplicity of the writing by Thompson, who has since become an author I like to follow. I even recommended another book from the Mouse's First series -- Mouse's First Fall -- to Maria during our collaboration last year.

So now that I've gushed about Lauren Thompson, I have to tell you that what really drew me to the Mouse's First series were the adorable illustrations by Erdogan. I love their simplicity and whimsy. I love that the mice look so at home against the soft colors in the backgrounds that cover each page from top to bottom. And I love that you can see strong connections between Mouse and the other characters in the books through their body language alone. In Mouse's First Snow, it is Mouse and Poppa who share that special bond...

One bright, white winter day, Mouse and Poppa went out to play!
"Let's go sledding!" said Poppa. 
Whoosh, swoosh! Poppa slid down the hill. 
I can do that too! thought Mouse. 
Pliff! ploof! Mouse slid down the hill too. 
"Good for you!" said Poppa.

These first few pages set up the story's structure, which repeats itself about five times in the book. Poppa has an idea for a snow activity -- and usually one that involves movement and sound! He tries it out, and then Mouse tries it out. After each activity, Papa shares some words of encouragement for Mouse. It's very sweet. The pair go ice skating, make snow angels, and even make a snowy surprise together at the end of the book. (If you look at the cover of the book, you might be able to guess what the surprise is!)

I can't wait to see how Maria used the book in her classes and to see if she he used it with her mommy or daddy and me classes or with older children. And do you think she had the kids do all of the movements in the book? Or did she make up her own winter activities? Let's find out here.

I found this YouTube video of a library story time with Mouse's First Snow. Enjoy the story and seeing the gorgeous illustrations up close!

3 Comments on Mouse's First Snow Melts My Heart, last added: 2/2/2013
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4. Holiday Bop with "The Hanukkah Hop"
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 12/31/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Hanukkah, Creative Movement, Erica Silverman, Steven D'Amico, Maria's Movers, Picture Books for Dance Class, The Hanukkah Hop, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
With so many holidays to celebrate this month, I chose a holiday book -- The Hanukkah Hop -- for dance educator Maria Hanley to use as part of our monthly collaboration. Because I know Maria teaches many of her classes at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan, I thought this would be the perfect book for her to try out in December. When you finish reading this post, you can hop on over to her blog, Maria's Movers, to read how her classes went!


I love that my kindergartner and second grader came home from school this month with projects celebrating so many different holidays. There were holiday word searches, gingerbread houses, a Kwanzaa coloring book, and even a hand-made dreidel!

Bookstores this month were also full of holiday books, including many new ones that were highlighted in a recent article from the Horn Book. If you happen to be looking for Hanukkah books in particular, Margo at The Fourth Musketeer also blogged this month about some of her favorites. I was happy to see The Hanukkah Hop, by Erica Silverman (author) and Steven D'Amico (illustrator), on her list. I bought my copy last year when the book was published, but I did notice that it was on the shelves at the stores again this year.

In the beginning of the book, young Rachel and her family are preparing to host a "Hanukkah Hop" for their extended family -- grandparents, nieces and nephews, great-aunts, second cousins, and friends from near and far. Rachel is getting the streamers ready, Daddy is blowing up balloons, and Mommy is making latkes. As the guests arrive, the party really starts, with plenty of dancing and a traditional Jewish band as a special guest...

The front door opens...
"Yah! Our special guests are here."
And carrying their instruments --
the klezmer band appears!

"Biddy-biddy bim-bom bim-bom bop."
Now we can get stomping at our Hanukkah Hop!"

As the dance party continues, readers will also learn what a menorah is, how to play with dreidels, and the history of Hanukkah -- all to the infectious beat of the text, broken up from time to time by the "biddy biddy him-bom bim-bom bop" refrain. Not all of the rhyme in the book is perfect, but you hardly notice because of the festive nature of the rhythm and of the illustrations, which are full of color, movement, and fine details that will make the book seem fresh on repeat readings.

The book also provides plenty of inspiration for movement. Rachel spins like a dreidel, streamers fall to the ground, balloons pop, and guests wiggle and hop. They also swing, sway, dive, and jump as they enjoy the music of the night. To find out if Maria incorporated any of these elements into her dance classes, you can read her post here.

Near the end of the book, Daddy starts cleaning up dishes, guests start snoozing, and Mommy looks for pillows and blankets to make the sleepy guests more comfortable. And then there is Rachel -- still energized by the music, joy, and spirit of the holiday season and not quite ready to hang up her dancing shoes!

"Biddy-biddy bim-bom bim-bom bop. 
I'm the only one still dancing at our Hanukkah Hop!"


Whether you celebrated Kwanzaa, Christmas, Hanukkah, or none of the above this month, there's still one holiday left that everyone can celebrate together -- New Year's Eve! Hope you fit some great music and lots of dancing into your evening tonight. Wishing you and yours a wonderful start to the new year. Happy holidays!!

0 Comments on Holiday Bop with "The Hanukkah Hop" as of 12/31/2012 12:31:00 PM
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5. Art Imitating Life in "Balancing Act"
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 12/10/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Balancing Act, Creative Movement, Maria's Movers, Picture Books for Dance Class, Ellen Stoll Walsh, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Every month, I recommend a picture book for dance educator Maria Hanley to use in her creative movement classes in New York, and then we both share our experiences with the book. In November, I recommended Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh. After you read my post about the book, don't forget to stop by Maria's blog, Maria's Movers, to find out her movement ideas!


Has it really been almost a month since I last posted? Wow! This is not the first time I have gone several weeks without blogging, but every time it happens I am amazed how quickly the time has gone by. And every time it happens, it is usually for the same reason.

Yes, I admit that time gets away with me sometimes, and then I have trouble balancing work, family, writing, dancing, blogging... Life really is a balancing act, and a very delicate one I must add. Spend just a little too much time or energy on one aspect of life, and you might have to make some changes to get back on track. Well, the book I picked for our November collaboration -- Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh -- is all about balancing, too...but on a teeter-totter!

The mice made a teeter-totter.
It was fun to balance...
one mouse on each end. 
Ta-da!
But then a salamander wanted a turn. 
Hmmm...

From this excerpt, you may be getting an idea of where this book is headed. Well, the salamander jumps onto one end of the teeter-totter, and that end of the teeter-totter drops to the ground. Oh, but then another salamander hops onto the other end of the teeter-totter, and everything is perfectly balanced again. But wait! Now a frog wants a turn! This continues on for a while until it starts getting a little bit harder to balance the teeter-totter, like when a big heavy bird wants to join in!

I thought this book could be fun for teaching balance, or for giving little ones a chance to practice coming up with creative solutions to a problem. It will be fun to see what Maria decided to do with the book in her classes. You can find out here.

The illustrations for the book are just as delightful as the simple story line. Created with paper cut-outs, the teeter-totter and the animal characters stand out against a white background on every page. And the characters are colorful, yet slightly muted. A perfect "balance" of the two...

I couldn't find a website for Ellen Stoll Walsh, but I found this really neat Pinterest page with links to more of her picture books and some fun artistic and educational ideas to go with them. Enjoy!

0 Comments on Art Imitating Life in "Balancing Act" as of 12/10/2012 1:03:00 PM
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6. "The Babies on the Bus" Is Great, Great, Great!
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 9/28/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  The Babies on the Bus, Karen Katz, Maria's Movers, Maria Hanley, Picture Book for Dance Class, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Every month I recommend a picture book for dance educator Maria Hanley to use with her young dance students in New York City. Then I post about the book here, and Maria posts about it on her incredibly resourceful blog Maria's Movers. This month we are exploring The Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz. It's especially great for the toddler and preschool crowd!


The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round. The wheels on the bus go round and round, all through the town! I think just about every toddler or preschooler has heard that song, don't you? It's just so fun to sing!

The Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz is a perfect book to go along with the song, which is just begging to be accompanied by movement. The bright and festive illustrations depict nine cute and cuddly multicultural children, a bus driver who looks like a toddler himself, and a brave teacher who is leading the children on a field trip to a local museum. There is a lot of movement in the illustrations, as you might except from a group of youngsters. You can get a feel for some of the movement in this trailer from the publisher...




After hearing the song in my head and seeing the energetic children in the book, I can easily imagine some of the movements that could accompany the song in a creative dance class. I envision children sitting in a straddle position on the floor and moving their legs "open and close" like the doors of the bus. They could tiptoe across the floor when the "driver on the bus says shush, shush, shush." Or they could create a movement sequence and perform it at different speeds when "the motor on the bus goes zoom, zoom, zoom."

When snooping around the web, I also found a really neat YouTube video called "The Wheels on the Bus with Miss Melodee." While singing the song -- with a beautiful singing voice I must say! -- Miss Melodee demonstrates how it could also be incorporated into a ballet class. Sometimes she uses classic ballet steps that fit the words perfectly, and other times she changes the words a little to fit a particular step. Here's the video if you want to take a look.  

So, I've been collaborating with Maria Hanley enough now that I'm going to guess she came up with something even different than I did or Miss Melodee did. What do you think? Let's find out here! 

The babies on the bus say, 
"Bye-bye, bus! Bye-bye, bus! Bye-bye, bus!
The babies on the bus say "Bye-bye, bus!"
Now it's time to go.

2 Comments on "The Babies on the Bus" Is Great, Great, Great!, last added: 10/8/2012
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7. Read & Romp Roundup -- August 2012
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 9/8/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Dance, Playful Learning, Maria's Movers, Read and Romp Roundup, Picture Books and Movement, Who Likes Rain?, Tanya and Emily in a Dance for Two, OMazing Kids, Add a tag

August was a busy month for many of us. Teachers were getting lesson plans together. Parents were preparing kids for the new school year. Kids were trying to remember what it's like to be on a regular schedule -- or, at least my kids were! And, hopefully, all of us were reading lots of great books. Speaking of great books, the August Read & Romp Roundup is full of them. Thanks to everyone who submitted!

At OMazing Kids, Angela shares a comprehensive list of children's yoga, wellness, mindfulness, and relaxation products. The list includes resource books for teachers, DVDs, coloring pages, workbooks, and of course plenty of picture books!

Maria from Maria's Movers uses the picture book Who Likes Rain? with her 4- to 5-year-old dance students. Read how they use the sounds from the book -- like "gurgle," "whoosh," and "KER-SPLAT!" -- to come up with their own dance!

Once again Amy at Picture-Book-A-Day reviewed two dance books over the last month! The first is Tanya and Emily in a Dance for Two by Patricia Lee Gauch and Satomi Ichikawa. Although Tanya and Emily have very different dance styles, they learn to dance together both inside and outside of dance class. Also find out what activities Amy would pair with the book!

Amy also reviews DANCE by dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones and photographer Susan Kuklin. First she describes the book, which shows how dance can be used to convey a variety of emotions, shapes, and ideas. Then she provides plenty of ways the book can be used to spark interesting discussions with children about dance!

Educator Mariah Bruehl is the founder of a blog I discovered the other day. It's called Playful Learning, created "to help parents support their children's learning and development." This guest post by Monique Barker shows how storytelling can be used to introduce kids to yoga!

2 Comments on Read & Romp Roundup -- August 2012, last added: 9/21/2012
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8. Into the Outdoors: A Plethora of Prepositions!
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 9/4/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Picture Books for Dance Class, Prepositions, Camping, Susan Gal, Maria's Movers, Maria Hanley, Into the Outdoors, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Dance educator Maria Hanley and I explored Into the Outdoors as the August picture book in our monthly collaboration. Its unique blend of two themes -- camping and prepositions -- makes it a one-of-a-kind book for sure. And it's also a fun one to incorporate into dance classes for young children. After you read this post, you can see how Maria used it with her young dancers here.


When I was growing up, a few times every summer my family would lug our camper behind our car into the forests of Pennsylvania, where we would spend a few nights out in the wilderness with friends. Hiking, canoeing, playing in the creek, making fires, roasting marshmallows, and watching wildlife -- particularly chipmunks, deer, raccoons, and the occasional black bear! -- are all wonderful memories I have from my childhood.

Nowadays, once or twice a year my husband, our two daughters, and I head out into the Maryland woods, pitch a tent, and spend a few nights in the great outdoors as well. We haven't taken the girls hiking or canoeing yet and haven't seen quite as many animals as I did growing up, but hopefully we'll get there one day.

How about you? Do you have any special camping memories? Would you be interested in a picture book about camping? Or, although this may seem a little off topic, might you be interested in a book about prepositions? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then I just might have the book for you!

In Into the Outdoors by Susan Gal, a family of four fill their car to the brim and leave the city to go camping in the mountains. Over the course of the book, the family partakes in many of the same same activities I did as a child. They go for a hike, they play in a stream, they build a fire and roast marshmallows, and they climb into their tent at night.

Throughout the day, the family also sees tons and tons of wildlife. Although they saw many of the same animals I usually see when I go camping, they saw a few others, too. Like a fox, a porcupine, and a moose! As you may be realizing, the story line of this book is quite simple. But, what makes the story so unique is its superfluous use of prepositions!

Alongside each other, we dream our dreams, 
beside the lake and beneath the moon, 
outside in the great outdoors.

I counted the prepositions in the book, and I came up with 19, all printed in yellow text to stand out from the otherwise white wording in the book. Almost all of the prepositions -- including across, along, around, behind, beneath, beside, over, through, up, and under -- would be great to introduce to a dance class. The youngest children might not know all of their meanings, but the illustrations can help show them. Plus, several of the prepositions are used more than once, giving the children extra opportunities to practice their meanings.

If I were teaching a dance class with this book, I think I'd set up a really neat obstacle course using as many of the prepositions as the kids could remember. Or, since there are so many prepositions, maybe I would use the book for a couple weeks and make a few different courses. Are you curious too see how Maria used the book? Let's see here!

If you're looking for other ideas for teaching prepositions, We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury is another picture book I recommend. Maria and I featured it around this time last year. Here's that post.

1 Comments on Into the Outdoors: A Plethora of Prepositions!, last added: 9/20/2012
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9. Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp!
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 7/25/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Dinosaurs, Stomp, Creative Movement, Maria's Movers, Creative Dance, Maria Hanley, Picture Books for Dance Class, Margaret Mayo, Alex Ayliffe, Stomp Dinosaur Stomp, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Today's post is part of my ongoing collaboration with dance educator Maria Hanley from Maria's Movers. Each month I recommend a book for Maria to use in her creative movement classes, and then we both share out experiences with the book. This month we're exploring Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp! by Margaret Mayo and Alex Ayliffe.


Look at the Tyrannosaurus on that cover! A little scary, don't you think? But don't worry...once you open the book, he's not that scary anymore. In fact, he's pretty harmless, even in the presence of other dinosaurs. Mostly, this Tyrannosaurus just wants to stomp!

Mighty Tyrranosaurus
loved stomp, stomp, stomping, 
gigantic legs striding, enormous jaws opening, 
jagged teeth waiting for guzzle, guzzling!
So stomp, Tyrannosaurus stomp!

As the book continues, we meet an immense Diplodocus, a crested Pteranodon, a fierce Velociraptor, and seven other prehistoric creatures. Like the Tyrranosaurus, each of the creatures has a signature move -- the Diplodocus a swish, the Pteranodon a glide, the Velociraptor a hunt -- plus additional moves that would hopefully inspire young children to come up with some moves of their own.

Although the Tyrranosaurus is mostly absent when we meet these other creatures, he does appear on the page devoted to a tough Ankylosaurus. The signature move of the Ankylosaurus is a whack, and poor Tyrannosaurus is the recipient of one of those whacks! He doesn't look like he minds, though, and this action adds a splash of humor to the already upbeat book. We then see the Tyrannosaurus one more time -- at the end of the book -- when, still stomping, he leads the whole pack of creatures in a dinosaur parade.

Girls and boys -- especially those who love to move -- will appreciate the many movement words in the text. I bet they'll also enjoy the bright illustrations, which take up every corner of every page and, in doing so, exaggerate the exuberance that the text already portrays. Let's see if Maria agrees! You can check out her post here.

2 Comments on Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp!, last added: 7/25/2012
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10. Get Ready to Ride the Subway!
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 6/29/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Maria's Movers, Maria Hanley, Picture Book for Dance Class, Anastasia Suen, Karen Katz, Subway, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Each month dance educator Maria Hanley and I explore a different picture book for our "Read It. Move It. Share It" collaboration. I recommend a book, Maria incorporates it into her creative movement classes, and we both share our experiences. This month I'm recommending the picture book Subway.


I've traveled on the "BART" in San Francisco,  the "Tube" in London, the "Metro" in Paris, the "Metro" in Washington, DC, and the "Subway" in New York City. Now that I think about it, I've been on quite a few underground railways... and I really like them!

Sometimes I like the bustle of people in the subway station, like on a busy weekday morning or on a Saturday afternoon when the station is bursting with tourists. Other times I enjoy a quiet station, like in the late evenings, when just a few people are milling around. And I always love the whirrr of the train as it finally approaches the station and I know that I am one step closer to my destination.

Washington DC Metro -- near me!


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11. Artistic Masterpiece: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 5/31/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Eric Carle, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Maria's Movers, Maria Hanley, Picture Books for Dance Class, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
With spring winding down and summer just around the corner, dance educator Maria Hanley and I are exploring the classic picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar by legendary author and illustrator Eric Carle. It's part of our monthly collaboration in which I recommend a picture book for Maria to use in her creative movement classes and then we both share our experiences with the book. 


The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which was published more than 40 years ago, is the first children's book I remember having as a child. When I think about other picture books and board books published around the same time, this one stands out so much in its creative design and universal appeal. 

I may be living in a cocoon of sorts (i.e., my own little world of children's books), but I can't imagine that anyone has not heard of this wonderful book, which tells the story of how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly in such a delightful--and delicious--way. A true artistic masterpiece...at least in my book! 

Just in case I really am living in a cocoon (which is entirely possible) and you haven't heard of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, the best way to describe it is to simply "show" it to you. It just so happens that Barnes & Noble is featuring the book on its "Online Storytime" this month. Click here and you can see some of the collage art from the book and hear Eric Carle read the whole story. 

I also found a great video on YouTube of Eric Carle talking about the process of creating the book, the educational themes that run through the book, and the

2 Comments on Artistic Masterpiece: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, last added: 6/2/2012
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12. Who Likes Rain?
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 5/2/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Poetry, Rain, Wong Herbert Yee, Spring, Henry Holt, Christy Ottaviano Books, Creative Movement, Maria's Movers, Picture Books for Dance Class, Summer Days and Nights, Who Likes Rain?, Tracks in the Snow, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
For April, I recommended the picture book Who Likes Rain? for dance educator Maria Hanley Blakemore to use in her creative movement classes in New York City. After you read this post, hop over to Maria's Movers to see how she used the book with her young dancers. You can also read more about our monthly collaboration here.


In April 2007, when my first daughter was a little over two years old, Henry Holt and Company published the rhyming picture book Who Likes Rain? by Wong Herbert Yee. Our local library bought a copy, and I discovered it sometime later that year. Our second daughter grew into a toddler, and for the next couple of years I continued checking the book out from time to time. 

I've always loved books about rain, and this is one of my favorites for toddlers and young preschoolers. It even comes in a small size (about half the size of most picture books) that is perfect for little hands. It's one of those books I would have loved to own, but for some reason I never bought a copy for myself. 

My daughters are a little older now and have moved on to more complex picture books, so it was such a treat to check this book out from the library again in preparation for my post. The first page of my library copy has scribble marks all over it--some in brown crayon and some in black marker. I guess some other toddlers have been enjoying the book, too!
10 Comments on Who Likes Rain?, last added: 5/6/2012
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13. Everybody Ready for a Barnyard Dance?
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 3/28/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Board Books, Creative Movement, Sandra Boynton, Barnyard Dance, Maria's Movers, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
I'm so excited that Maria from Maria's Movers and I are featuring Barnyard Dance! by Sandra Boynton this month. I knew Maria had a copy of the book and so would already by familiar with it, but I recommended it anyway because I love it so much and because I was curious to see how she would use it in her creative movement classes. If you're curious, too, check out her post here.


Stomp your feet! Clap your hands!
Everybody ready for a barnyard dance!

Ever since my first daughter was born seven years ago (my, how time flies!), I've been a big fan of board books. I think of them as simple, sturdy little books that can be loved for a long long time without losing their charm...or their pages. Barnyard Dance! by amazing author and illustrator Sandra Boynton was one of the first board books I received as a gift after I had my first daughter, and it has lasted through many many readings with both of my girls.

In preparing to write this post, I learned that there are nearly four million copies of Barnyard Dance! in print, and Publishers Weekly lists it as one of the bestselling children's books of all time. Wow! It turns out that I've helped contribute to those great sales figures, too. After receiving the book as a gift myself, I bought more than a couple extra copies over the years to give to other new moms. 

8 Comments on Everybody Ready for a Barnyard Dance?, last added: 3/31/2012
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14. The Croakey Pokey: A Leap Day Dance!
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 2/29/2012
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Maria's Movers, Creative Dance, Hokey Pokey, Picture Book for Dance Class, The Croakey Pokey, Holiday House, Ethan Long, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Dance educator Maria Hanley and I are exploring the picture book The Croakey Pokey this month. In the book, author and illustrator Ethan Long turns the Hokey Pokey into a perfect song for a creative movement class. Thank you, Holiday House, for sending me a review copy of this creative and entertaining book!


A few weeks ago I blogged about the picture book Leap Back Home to Me, which is a sweet and gentle story about a frog who loves to leap. Well, since today's actually Leap Day, I'm going to blog about frogs again. But this time the frogs aren't so sweet and gentle. They're bouncy and boisterous...and they're hungry!

The Croakey Pokey, written and illustrated by Ethan Long, takes the standard Hokey Pokey and adds a clever twist--just enough to make the song seem like it's new. Set in a pond, the book follows a group of frogs as they shake their body parts one at a time (just like in the traditional song) and then hop around in pursuit of a dragonfly that they just can't seem to catch...

Put your right hand in, 
Put your right hand out, 
Put your right hand in, 
And wave it all about, 

Hop the Croakey Pokey 
As we chase a fly around, 
Right in the froggy's mouth!

WHAP!

As the book progresses, the illustrations show that the frogs aren't the only ones inhabiting the pond. And they aren't the only ones trying to catch the dragonfly, either. SNAP! go the jaws of an alligator. And SNAP! goes the beak of a bird who is poking his head out of the pond. A little turtle and a few of the frogs are also playing trombones on the edge of the pond, adding an extra vibe of rhythm and fun to the book.

Ethan Long's illustrations in this book make me laugh every time I see them. As the long tongues of more and more frogs just miss catching the dragonfly--WHAP!--the tongues become more prominent in the illustrations. The already bulg

5 Comments on The Croakey Pokey: A Leap Day Dance!, last added: 3/2/2012
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15. Frolic in the Leaves with Mouse and Minka
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 10/31/2011
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Lauren Thompson, Leaves, Maria's Movers, Creative Dance, Picture Books about Fall, Minka, Mouse's First Fall, Buket Erdogen, Autumn, Mouse, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
Each month I recommend a picture book for independent dance educator Maria Hanley to incorporate into her creative movement classes in New York City. October's book is Mouse's First Fall, which I thought of immediately when Maria told me she had some leaf props she wanted to use with her students. After reading about the book here, head over to Maria's blog to see what she came up with!


One cool fall day...
Mouse and Minka came out to play!

In some parts of the United States, the weather has been quite wintery over the last few days. I'm holding out hope, though, that the fall weather will soon return...

Fall was one of my favorite seasons when I was a little girl, and I especially enjoyed raking the leaves with my brothers and then enthusiastically jumping into th

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16. We're Dancing on a Bear Hunt!
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 9/29/2011
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Michael Rosen, Summer Camp, Helen Oxenbury, We're Going on a Bear Hunt, Maria's Movers, Creative Dance, Clapping Game, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It.
Each month I recommend a picture book for Maria Hanley--dance educator extraordinaire in New York City--to incorporate into her creative movement classes. Our September pick is We're Going on a Bear Hunt, written by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. When you're done reading more about the book, don't forget to check out Maria's blog to see how she used it in her classes. 


I still remember sitting in a big circle at summer camp, clapping one hand and then the other against my thighs and stamping my feet against the floor as our fearless leader took us on an adventurous bear hunt when I was a kid. Through fields of grass, thick mud, and dark forests we went, searching far and wide for that one elusive bear. Does this sound familiar to you, too?

Well, when I saw the picture book We're Going on a Bear Hunt for the first time earlier this year, this childhood memory came flooding back...not so much because of the actions we did during the bear hunt, but because of how exhilarating it was to play the game. And even though we were sitting in one place, it still included a lot of movement, which I'm sure was another reason I had so much fun with it.

I can't remember the exact words to the game I played, and I'm sure there are many versions. Here's a very expressive Michael Rosen reciting his version--the version that he created for the book. You can see from the video that the text of the book is full of rhythm and fun sounds that could easily inspire movement, as they do for Rosen himself.



Although the words to the book are what inspire the movement for me, the book wouldn't be what it is without the beautiful drawings of Helen Oxenbury. She was able to depict the characters in the book any which way she wanted, and she chose to draw them as five members of a family. I recently found out that the five characters are actually siblings, but many readers think they are a father and his four children. Either way, I think this depiction is especially nice for young children, who will likely be "reading" this book alongside other family members of their own.

2 Comments on We're Dancing on a Bear Hunt!, last added: 9/29/2011
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17. Board Books Use Animals to Inspire Movement
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 8/27/2011
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Animals, Ocean Animals, Zoo Animals, Harriet Ziefert, Simms Taback, Maria's Movers, Creative Dance, Swing Like a Monkey, Maria Hanley, Wiggle Like an Octopus, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
This month I mixed it up a little. I recommended not one but TWO books for independent dance educator Maria Hanley to incorporate into her creative movement classes in New York City. After reading this post to learn more about the books, head over to Maria's blog to see how she used them in her classes. And thanks to publisher Blue Apple Books for supplying review copies of both books!

When I saw the new board books SWING! Like a Monkey and WIGGLE! Like an Octopus, I knew right away that I wanted to highlight them on my blog. Because many dance educators use animals to inspire movement in their classes, I thought the books would be perfect tools to assist them.

4 Comments on Board Books Use Animals to Inspire Movement, last added: 8/30/2011
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18. Dance to the Beat of Your Own.....Tuba?
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 7/28/2011
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Wordless Picture Books, Maria's Movers, Creative Dance, T.C. Bartlett, Monique Felix, Tuba Lessons, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It. 
This month I'm recommending the picture book Tuba Lessons for independent dance educator Maria Hanley to incorporate into her creative movement classes in New York City. A while back, Maria told me she was interested in trying out wordless or nearly wordless picture books in class, and I thought Tuba Lessons might be a good one to start with. After reading more about the book below, head over to Maria's blog to see how she used it with her young dancers.


Tuba Lessons, by T. C. Bartlett and Monique Felix, is the fanciful story of a young boy's adventures on his way to music class. "Now, don't dillydally in the woods, young man, or you'll be late for your tuba lesson," his mother calls out, as the boy heads out for class carrying his large golden tuba.

From this point on, the illustrations take over as the boy steps into his own little world in the woods. I'm not sure if it's a real world, an imaginary world, or a dream world, but it's a wonderful world. 

In this new world, a traditional musical staff (made up of five parallel lines and the four spaces in between) is used as a walking path one minute and turns into a tree the next. As the boy plays his tuba and starts attracting some forest animals, the lines of the staff curve and bend along with the music emanating from the tuba, and different sizes and shapes of musi

1 Comments on Dance to the Beat of Your Own.....Tuba?, last added: 7/28/2011
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19. Jump along to a Timeless Read Aloud!
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By: Kerry Aradhya, on 6/29/2011
Blog: Picture Books & Pirouettes (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Maria's Movers, Creative Dance, Robert Kalan, Byron Barton, Picture Book, Frog, Jump, Movement, Add a tag

Read It. Move It. Share It.
Each month I recommend a picture book for independent dance educator Maria Hanley to incorporate into her creative movement classes in New York. This is the sixth month of our collaboration. You can read about Maria’s experience with our June book—Jump, Frog, Jump!—over at her award-winning blog Maria’s Movers.  

2 Comments on Jump along to a Timeless Read Aloud!, last added: 6/29/2011
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