Elephant Dance - Hardcover

Theresa Heine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1841489174 ISBN 13: 9781841489179

Publisher: Barefoot Books, 2004

Synopsis

Ravi and Anjali are fascinated by their grandfather s stories of India, where the sun is like a ferocious tiger, the wind is like a wild horse, and monsoon rains cascade from the sky like waterfalls. Ravi particularly loves to hear about the festival of Divaali, where parading elephants take pride of place in their grandfather s memories, and he dreams of having an elephant dance to the tune he composes on his flute.
In addition to an evocative, beautifully written story, Elephant Dance also contains endnotes on the cultural heritage of India, making it a perfect introduction to Indian life and traditions.

About this title

About the Author:

Rebecca Hazell is the author of The Barefoot Book of Heroines (Barefoot Books, 1996) and The Barefoot Book of Heroes (Barefoot Books, 1997). Working as a designer and writer she has written and illustrated filmstrips, designed craft kits for children, and is also an award-winning needlepoint designer. Rebecca lives in Nova Scotia, Canada and works extensively with local school children. Helen Cann is a graduate from the School of Art, Wales. She is a full-time illustrator and her rich artwork has been exhibited in several European counties and the United States. Her watercolour, collage and graphite images adorn many Barefoot Books, among them: The Barefoot Book of Mother and Daughter Tales (1996), The Barefoot Book of Father and Daughter Tales (1997), The Barefoot Book of Mother and Son Tales (1998) and The Barefoot Book of Father and Son Tales (1998).

From School Library Journal:

Kindergarten-Grade 3–When Grandfather arrives from India, Ravi asks him about life there. The man describes a sun that is like "a ferocious tiger" in the sky; snow-covered mountains that look like "giant ice cream"; and elephants that wear "silk howdahs, blue as the royal peacock," during the feast of Divaali. At the end of the day, Ravi creates an elephant dance on his flute and falls asleep to dream about an elephant doing "a silent dance." Done in acrylic paint, the folk-style illustrations capture the bright colors of India, as Ravi sees them in his mind's eye. The scenes alternate between Grandfather's depictions of his homeland and the boy's life in an unidentified country, where his family continues to embrace their traditions. Endnotes provide details about culture, animals, and food. The book is engaging as a read-aloud about an intergenerational relationship or as an introduction to the country. The sheet music for Ravi's song is also included. The narrative's question-and-answer format occasionally leads to choppy transitions, but the book's splashy illustrations and poetic language outweigh this flaw.–Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, OR
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About this edition

• Publisher: Barefoot Books
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1841489174
• ISBN 13: 9781841489179
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40
• Illustrator: Sheila Moxley