Dance! [Hardcover]

Elisha Cooper (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0060294183 | ISBN-13: 978-0060294182 | Publication Date: August 7, 2001 | Edition: 1

Come join the dance company.
Streach.
Think.
Learn.
Together.
Rehearse.
Rehearse.
Rehearse.
Music.
Lights.
Costumes.
Now it' opening night...
Dance!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Cooper (Ballpark; Country Fair) again simply and effectively zeroes in on a pastime to which youngsters are likely to be favorably disposed. Here he ushers readers into the studio of a dance company, where a choreographer teaches a new dance to the troupe members. They diligently "rehearse until their arms and legs remember the steps." As Cooper chronicles the painstaking process of preparing for a performance, the spontaneous, lyrical narrative makes each scene easy to visualize (e.g., "The dancers play with the music, reaching out as if to catch the notes as they rise and fall around the studio"). He portrays the dancers, constantly in motion, as diminutive, abstract shapes in spare yet energetic watercolor and pencil art. The book's inventive design features cleverly configured type that intermittently mimics the dancers' movements as it gracefully winds and bends across the pages. The tale ends just as the curtain goes up on opening night, emphasizing the meticulous rehearsal process rather than the performance. Cooper's illuminating depiction of the many steps leading up to the grand event are deserving of enthusiastic applause. Ages 4-up.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-From rehearsals and choreography to opening-night preparations, Cooper presents a no-frills treatment of dance. His spare pencil-and-watercolor illustrations amid lots of white space suggest the hastily rendered sketches of an unobtrusive observer. These minimalist images are strewn with tiny scribbled notes, such as "hands on hips" and "sweat," that draw attention to the poses of the featureless figures. The text wanders through these illustrations, sometimes requiring readers to turn the book around, which doesn't always work. It suits the subject for readers to stand on their heads periodically to follow the story, but it might not suit the readers themselves. Contortions notwithstanding, Dance successfully provides inquisitive children with a believable vicarious experience. Virginia Schomp's If You Were a Ballet Dancer (Benchmark, 1997) informs while Bill T. Jones and Susan Kuklin's Dance (Hyperion, 1998) inspires, but Cooper's book simply shows the process from his presumed vantage point as a layman. Readers looking for step-by-step instruction or education in either the text or graphics will be disappointed, but fans of Cooper's art and narration won't be.

Catherine Threadgill, DeKalb County Public Library, Atlanta, GA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (August 7, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060294183
• ISBN-13: 978-0060294182
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,076,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elisha Cooper is the award-winning author of "Beach," which won the 2006 Society of Illustrators Gold Medal. Other picture books include "A Good Night Walk," "Magic Thinks Big," and "Dance!," a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. His adult books include the memoir "Crawling: A Father's First Year." Elisha Cooper lives with his family in New York City.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's nice to use your imagination., November 30, 2001

By 

dennis s. minely (hopewell, nj usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dance! (Hardcover)

Elisha Cooper's book Dance! is wonderful for what it says and shows but also for what it does not spell out. He shows us some of the exquisite details in the daily lives of the dancers, in the practice studios, posing and touching and relating to each other..walking on your partners back for example. But I'm pleased to say he stops before you get the big show, just when the curtain is about to go up. Now young and old a like will stretch their creative imagination to envision the performance. Almost like the good old days of radio shows when you listened carefully and visualized what was going on. Maybe Elisha Copper will someday give us Act I so we can compare it to ours. He gets better with each book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars illustrations and story are perfect, November 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dance! (Hardcover)

Every child who ever liked to watch dance performances will love this portrayal of the work and fun that happens behind the scenes before the curtain goes up. Cooper's energetic and ethereal illustrations capture the airy movement of the dancers, and his prose is evocative and sometimes wonderfully quirky and entertaining. I disagree with the former reviewer's complaints about the illustrations, which I found charming, and productive of endless fun with children picking out specific little figures. I particularly like the tiny handwritten notes in the paintings themselves, which lend an air of spontaneity and a playful view into the mind of the artist at work, and which do not need to be clearly legible to have this effect. I also loved the ending, which I found entirely appropriate to a book so specifically about what happens on the other side of the curtain.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Exciting, and Informative, November 23, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Dance! (Hardcover)

As a former dancer myself, I was astounded by how perfectly the author captured the lightness, flexibility, and movement of the dancers in this book. This book guides the adult and child reader through the backstage life of a professional dancer -- through the sweat and pain, the music and laughter, the choreography and lighting, the nerves and excitement. The swirling words, the simple colors, and the memorable observations are both entertaining and educational. Any child (or adult) who likes to dance -- or simply likes to ask questions about how things happen -- will love this book!