Summary
This book integrate music and dance into a meaningful story. This story can be read in a musical tone as Shane the main character navigates finding himself amongst his community. The story includes community and working together to keep the dancehall experience lively and fun. Shane overcomes the adversity of affording shoes and being too shy to share his talent with others which attests to a great theme of courage and perseverance. The illustrations are fun and engaging for all.
Theme(s):
Overcoming Adversity, Self-Esteem, Community
Personal Response
This book is a lot of fun for the students and the teacher reading it. This book is engaging and exciting and teaches a lot about rhythm and rhyming words. Shane is a relatable character for many as he initially is shy, but comes out of his shell to share his talent and personality. Shane is a great character to use for children to look up to as he trades his savings for the community to enjoy their dancehall traditions. The book also includes cultural food and vocabulary throughout.
Teaching Ideas
This is a great book to use as a read-aloud to get children engaged. After the first read the children could easily participate and sing along. This book is a great way to promote positive self-esteem as children navigate friendships and interests. Children can use this book to dance and get involved while learning about a culture that may or may not be familiar to them. This is a great example of community and helping others despite what our wants may be.
Recommended Reading Level
Birth-PreK, Grade 01
