Customer Reviews

Song and Dance Man

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I think there must be a whole old-people-dancing picture book genre out there. Tons of these books appear on the market every year and they bring in a steady profit time and time again. Perhaps the most successful of these (which is to say, it won an award) is Karen Ackerman's charming, "Song and Dance Man". A simple tale of a grandfather puttin' on a show for his grandchildren, the book is a touching tribute to the Vaudeville kings and queens of yore.

Three bright eyed urchins appear at their grandfather's door one day, to his evident delight. Without further ado he leads them up into the house's attic where he keeps a trunk of old treasures. It takes a little sifting and shifting to find exactly what he needs, but soon Grandpa's old taps are on his feet and the lamps in the attic become the spotlights of a makeshift stage. Grandpa begins with a shuffle footed tap solo then moves on to banjo playing/singing, magic tricks, and awful old jokes. The night's entertainment is topped off with a grand finale of tapping and dancing. The crowd (of three) goes wild and everything is put away again. "But as he turns off the attic light, Grandpa glances back up the stairs, and we wonder how much he really misses that time on the vaudeville stage, when he was a song and dance man".

You've probably seen illustrations by Minnesota based artist Stephen Gammell before and just didn't know it. They've a kind of controlled insanity, though this book is not half as violent to the senses as his truly disturbing "Old Black Fly". Instead, this story comes off as merely messy, but with a vibrant undertone. The colors in the pictures are often of a sweet rainbow filled spectrum. Grandpa's nose, a permanent red, sits prominently on his kind face. I think the real joy of this book is that you know the main character is having the time of his life. He's truly enjoying reliving his days as a performer, a fact drilled home by the book's wistful final sentence. Thumbs up to author Karen Ackerman too for effectively creating such a great grandpa character. Who wouldn't want a talented guy like this in their family?

For a sweet intergenerational tale that doesn't focus (for a change) on wise advice or dealing with death, this book takes the cake. When you read a book that takes as much joy out of life as this one does, you know you're gonna find yourself going back to it again and again. Sentimental in only the best sense of the word.

This delightful book written by Karen Ackerman depicts a fun and loving relationship between a grandfather and his grandchildren. The children are delighted with their grandfather's antics and his tales of a time long ago when he was young, dancing on the vaudeville stage. The book depicts the grandfather as an energetic and vivacious elderly person and a joy for his grandchildren. Young children will love the vibrant and colorful llustrations by Stephen Gammell which add a sense of excitement and reality to the story.

Note to teachers: This book can be used in a unit pertaining to family and would be an excellent source for teaching another area of diversity, the elderly.

Song and Dance Man was about two grandchildren and their grandpa who used to be a song and dance man on the vaudeville stage. He takes the children up to the attic and shows them some of his old dances and costumes. He performs for them and the children feel just as if they were at the vaudeville stage watching this magnificent dance. This book shows the close relationship between grandparents and there grandchildren and is a wonderful book for children to read.

With a peep into the past, it's also the best of good old-fashioned values. A really warm, sweet, and simple story of just having fun - as a family, intergenerationally and without electronic noise. And the book is not heavy-handed, but the story sends a message about fun - and how we can all create fun without props and just our own voices and body and each other - is a good, and needed, one for both children and adults. I bought it for my 28-month-old and highly recommend this book - it leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside and is just a good, clean, nice story.

The book helps us to think about what our grandparents could have done in the past. It makes us wonder about times before ours. The character is funny and caring, easy to like. The pictures help us to imagine what is going on. A good book to read with family.

I don't always agree with Caldecott nominations and winners, but this time I'm really impressed. The story is fun, but the awesome thing about this book is definitely the illustrations. Younger children who are not sucked into stories and harder to hold the attention of will be mesmerized by the paintings.

Absolutely beautiful!

We liked the Song and Dance Man. We liked how it sounds when you read it. We liked all the different colors in the pictures. They made the book nice. We liked how Grandpa did all of the dancing. We thought the jokes were funny.

This book is a great book. It is about a grandfather who dances and sing for his grandchildren up in the attic. The part I like the most is when the man dances really fast it makes music and when he spins and jumps up into the air.
I would reommend this book, because it is a fun book to read.

I am a K teacher. My kids enjoy this book during our family unit. My 3 yr old boy enjoys it as well. In a world full of copy only talent, this book allows for discussion about music, dance, performance, stage, arts, musicals, and of course, grandparents. The pictures are captivating making the kids want to investigate the pages closely, and they prompt questions. Again, it's a very sweet and meaningful story.

This children's book by Karen Ackerman is focused on the grandfather of three children. He is a retired vaudevillian entertainer who puts on a show for the kids. The book was illustrated by Stephen Gammell and it won the 1989 Caldecott Medal for best illustration in a children's book. It is based in part on the author's own childhood. It demonstrates how much a child can learn from one's grandparents and the lives they have led.