The Bamboo Dance by Cress Sia and illustrated by Lisa Butler
Review by Chris Singer
About Hartlyn Kids (from their website):
Hartlyn Kids Media, LLC is an independent children’s book publishing company dedicated to exposing children and their parents to the diversity of cultures around the world. The name Hartlyn comes from the two locations that each of the creators is from – Hartford and Brooklyn… and we also have read that it is a name which means full and joyous! Our business inspiration stems from the Maya Angelou quote:
Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.
Our books are designed to give a true and authentic snapshot of the day in the life of a child from various regions around the globe. The books are not only representations of the culture of the region but also each one is written by local authors who have immediate access to knowledge of the area. Each of our books are written with the global child of ANY age in mind.
We hope that a parent would be comfortable reading to their child, we envision children being able to read on their own and also foresee parents being engaged by the books to use as learning tools. In each book, readers will learn about the richness and diversity of world cultures, while at the same time learning that we are not so different after all.
With each book, the readers will have an interactive and intriguing experience of traveling the globe… one book at a time.
About the author:
Cress Sia grew up in the Philippines but spent a few years in the United States for some high school and college education. She is a pharmacist by day and a creative writer by night. She lives with her family in Cebu, Philippines.
About the illustrator:
Lisa Butler grew up in a small town in Connecticut and studied illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. She loves to travel and has been to France, The Netherlands, Haiti and Anguilla; but her favorite place is at home in Connecticut with her kitty, Tuxedo.
About the book:
Meet Paco and Diego, two Filipino boys, as they learn to dance the tinikling, the national dance of the Philippines. Along the way, they will learn that practice makes perfect, especially when you have the encouragement of your friend!
Watch the book trailer:
My take on the book:
We are so happy you enjoyed the books! Hope Tessa enjoys also. We really love the illustrations and most of all – bringing a little culture to families. It is worth it!
Hi, Chris. Loved your review! What a great idea for an independent publishing company, too. And I especially like the passport & sticker idea to really get young readers involved in the books. I hope Hartlyn Kids Media does well. I of course also like it that the first book from the company is about dance
I look forward to learning about more titles from other countries…