Read & Romp Roundup -- January 2012

Here, finally, is the Read & Romp Roundup for January 2012. I was thrilled with the response to my first call for submissions and think we have a great and diverse roundup here. Just what I was hoping for! We have picture books with themes of rhythm and dance, unique ideas for incorporating poetry and picture books into dance and yoga classes, and even a birthday celebration for a beloved author who writes about dance. Hope you enjoy the inaugural roundup!

Amy at Delightful Children's Books shares a list of 10 children's books that entertain, inform, inspire, and broaden children's understanding of dance. Amy also created a YouTube playlist to go along with her post, including performances by Fred Astaire, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, and more. 

Wait until you see what Eric from Happy Birthday Author did to celebrate author Katherine Holabird's birthday with his three children. It involves a book about Angelina Ballerina, a dance studio, and you guessed it...dancing! 

Nicola at Nic's Barefoot Books Edinburg has resolved to review more books on her blog this year! Well, here is her first review of the year--a post on the popular picture book My Daddy is a Pretzel. I've always been curious about this book so loved reading Nic's review. I also enjoyed seeing photos of Nic and her three girls trying out yoga poses from the book!

Speaking of yoga, Angela from OMazing Kids Yoga also joined our roundup this month. Here she reviews the picture book Not a Box and shares a lesson plan for using the book with young yogis. Who knew this simple book about a rabbit and a box could inspire so many yoga poses!

Meg at Dancepulse is a full-time dance specialist in a public elementary school. Awesome! This month she shares a lesson plan for her fifth graders. Based on the poem "Dream Variations" by Langston Hughes, her lesson includes a reading of the stunning poem, an improvisational warm-up, and small-group choreography inspired by words and images from the poem. 

At Access Dance for Life, Jacqui uses the book Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert to share healthy messages about food with her preschool dancers. Find out how the artwork in the book can inspire an exploration of the shapes, colors, and textures of different fruits and vegetables!

Another alphabet book illustrated by Lois Ehlert is Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, which Liz at Children's Books to Love says "is possibly the most fun alphabet book on the market today." In her review, Liz mentions how fun it is to read, sing to, and chant to the book. I bet it would be fun to dance to it, too!

Maria from Maria's Movers describes how she uses the book We're Going on a Bear Hunt with her young creative movers. See how she uses a cone, a rope, and a hula hoop to explore her students' understanding of three common words from the book: over, under, and through!

Cheryl at Madhouse Family Reviews discusses the new book Dance Together Dinosaurs, which is loosely based on the British television show Strictly Come Dancing (the precursor to Dancing with the Stars in the United States). Although Cheryl gives the book a mixed review, she says she can't help dancing along when she reads it. See what you think!

Have You Met Angelina Ballerina?

What blog about picture books and dance would be complete without mentioning Angelina Ballerina, right? Well, today seems as good a time as any to bring up this lovable dancing mouse, as she has been very busy lately!

For instance, did you know that Angelina recently had a makeover? Well, I think it actually happened in 2008 (so maybe it isn't that recent), but it's pretty recent news to me. Thanks to HIT Entertainment and its partners, there is now a CGI-animated version of Angelina out there, leaping and twirling in many new places. There are new toys, new coloring books, new DVDs, and even a new animated television series called Angelina Ballerina: First Steps. In the new series, Angelina has moved to a new neighborhood with a new performing arts center, new friends, and a new dance teacher. And she's adding lots of new dance styles to her repertoire. Here's a little snippet:

Since her makeover, Angelina has also added several new roles to her resume. In June 2010, she became the spokescharacter for Angelina Ballerina Stars of Tomorrow--a multi-year pilot program to introduce the many benefits of dance and to provide opportunities for dance education to school-age children in the Bronx, New York. Because of the initial success of the program, Angelina Ballerina Stars of Tomorrow is now teaming up with the Dizzy Feet Foundation to give scholarships to and to support dance education for underpriveleged children throughout the United States.

Angelina is also starring in her very own musical--appropriately titled "Angelina Ballerina, the Musical"--this winter. The Vital Theatre Company premiered the musical in New York City in October, and it looks like it may be running in the city through February 19th. I also saw that the company will be performing in the Pittsburgh area in January, and I believe other tour dates are planned. You can try checking here for updates, but I can't vouch for how well the site is being maintained.

So...this is all very exciting news, especially if Angelina fans like her new makeover. But if you, like me, are missing the old Angelina--drawn by Helen Craig with simple paper and pencil--then the good news is that the classic Angelina books aren't going anywhere. Here's a list, straight from the website of author Katharine Holabird:

Angelina Ballerina
Angelina and the Princess
Angelina at the Fair
Angelina's Christmas
Angelina On Stage
Angelina's Birthday
Angelina and Alice
Angelina Ice Skates
Angelina's Baby Sister
Angelina's Halloween
Angelina and Henry
Angelina, Star of the Show
Angelina at the Palace

And finally, just in case you aren't familiar with the original books, I found a clip on YouTube of someone reading Angelina Ballerina--the book that started it all, first published in 1983. I wasn't able to embed the video in my post because of restrictions that were placed on the clip, but you can find it here. Hope you enjoy it!