Rupert Can Dance

For me, it is always a tough sell to use books about dance with animal characters. Some dance teachers love this….I am more of a skeptic.

This week, the imaginative cartoonist and author Jules Feiffer has won me over! This is now one of my favorite children's books for 2014 – a book entitled Rupert Can Dance.

Let me begin by describing the illustrations – excellent capturing of movement and the energy of dancing. This is seen in both characters – the young girl and the cat.

Second, the storyline is just fun, and with a great message. Mandy is a girl who loves to dance, and her cat Rupert eagerly watches her. While Mandy sleeps, Rupert secretly dances. One day this secret is discovered. Mandy, excited, wants to teach Rupert about dancing. He does not want to be pushed into learning from her — a common feeling of many young students who want to do something on their own terms. With some "reverse psychology," Mandy gets Rupert to show her some moves, and then he opens up to experiencing dancing together. 

Check out Rupert Can Dance for the artwork and the positive message of the story.

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