Jitterbugs!. This item is unavailable.Jitterbugs!

Be-Bop, A-Doo-Wop, A Wobble-Dee, POP! From the moment children first hear the recurring scat-rhythm that inspires Shorty George to dance, they'll be transported into a world filled with images from the past brought to life in colorful detail. JITTERBUGS! is inspired by real-life 1930s Lindy Hop dancers George Snowden ( Shorty George ) and Beatrice Gay ( Big Bea ) who used their height difference to advantage to win contests at places like the famed Savoy Ballroom in Harlem New York. This dance-along story re-casts George and Bea as adorable and engaging jitterbugs; and young readers are prompted to dance along with a few of the bugs' signature steps. Bonus materials for educators and parents include lively vintage music and video clips, activity sheets, and common core lesson plans all available for download on the JITTERBUGS! book website.

Author Margot Toppen is a dance educator who directs Dancing with Class, a youth outreach organization that teaches swing, ballroom and Latin dance to Chicago-area elementary kids. In her classes, it is common for the girls to be taller than the boys. She tells the story of real-life 1930s Lindy Hop dancers George Snowden (Shorty George) and Beatrice Gay (Big Bea) as a way of coaching students through this awkwardness. Her frequent telling of how George and Bea used their height difference to advantage to win contests is what inspired this children's story.