The Dancing Skeleton (Aladdin Picture Books) [Paperback]

Cynthia De felice (Author), Robert Andrew Parker (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Aladdin Picture Books

Aaron Kelly is dead but not lamented. He's so ornery, in fact, that he won't stay in his coffin but comes home to haunt his widow. How she ultimately gets Aaron back into his grave makes for a funny rather tahn scary story that will delight children. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

THE DANCING SKELETON Cynthia C. DeFelice, illus. by Robert Andrew Parker. S&S/Aladdin, $5.99 ISBN 0-689-80453-9. PW praised the "crackling good storytelling" in this tale of a widow who tries to silence her husband's ghost when a fiddler comes courting. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6-- "Aaron Kelly was dead," the story begins, ". . . And, to tell you the truth, nobody much cared." For Aaron was ornery and mean, and everyone, especially his wife, was glad to see him go. But back from the graveyard Aaron returns, and soon his skeleton sits in the rocking chair "just a-creakin' and a-crackin' and a-grinnin'." There's not much his poor widow can do, at least not until the best fiddler in town comes to call. Readers and listeners alike are sure to respond to this folktale. DeFelice's experience as a storyteller shows up on every page. Bursting with vitality, her rhythmic prose captures the vocabulary, tone, the very cadences typical of the oral tradition. "Crickety-crack, down and back! Old Aaron went a-hoppin', his dry bones a-poppin'." Robert Andrew Parker's watercolor illustrations are just right. Done in shades of soft yellow, orange, tan, gray, and black, they manage to heighten the absurdity of the story plus hint at its underlying sinister theme. The Dancing Skeleton is as close to perfection as these things come. --Ellen D. Warwick, Robbins Lib . , Arlington, MA
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Aladdin (September 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689804539
• ISBN-13: 978-0689804533
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,116,006 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a family favorite, August 31, 2004

By 

M. Kinsey (Lancaster, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The DANCING SKELETON (Hardcover)

My son found this book at the school library last autumn and has been checking it out regularly ever since. The idea might seem macabre, but we think the story is hilarious. It's especially fun to read out loud--the language is great, really rhythmic. At 6, my son knows that people can't come back from the dead and that skeletons can't dance, and sees the humor in one that does, so we haven't had any death issues resulting from the book. I highly recommend this for a fun Halloween read. As the skeleton says, "Oooooweeee! Ain't we havin' fun!"

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars rollicking fun, March 22, 2002

By 

Reinhardt Quelle (Belmont, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The DANCING SKELETON (Hardcover)

My two kids (3,4) love this book - they picked it up at the library, and we've read it six times in the last two days.

The prose is lyrical - I'm not at all unhappy when my daugher asks me to read it yet again, as it is really quite at its best when read aloud. I'm not a fan of horror, or even ghost stories, but this is really quite funny, and not at all disturbing. Indeed, it takes what would be a classic haunting story and makes light of it.

I'll definately buy this one if I can find a copy.

BTW "Are You Mad" needs to read it again - the village isn't celebrating (no one missed him, because he was mean), nor is the widow only interested in the insurance money (she's concerned that she won't be able to afford the coffin if Aaron doesn't stay dead, as the insurance won't pay if he isn't).

A childrens book that both you and your children will enjoy. One caveat... my kids have been introduced to "death" already - they're missing two grandparents and a horse, and we've talked about death a fair amount. Your mileage may vary.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dance Macabre with the Dancing Skeleton, October 30, 2008

By 

Karen Dunn - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Dancing Skeleton (Aladdin Picture Books) (Paperback)

I have been reading this wonderful book every year around Halloween to my students and we use percussion instruments with the sound words; such as rocked with a rachet and clicked with a castanet.
I also starting adding in the music of Saint-Saen's "Dance Macabre."
I put in a small bit of extra wording that the fiddler says right before he begins to play his violin..such as the clock strikes and he walks over to get his fiddle and tune it up, as the music starts. The music gets louder and faster just like the widow requests of the fiddler. I fade it out at the end of the story. It words really well and adds to the excitement of the reading.