Attention seasoned dance teaching artists! Flowers are Calling, by Rita Gray and illustrator Kenard Pak, offers some magical inspiration — leading towards a group dance with many "parts" for your whole class. Preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders will love the many roles to play as animals, insects, and beautiful flowers.
The recurring structure of the book is that a "flower is calling" to an animal. The animal emerges – such as a bear, frog, porcupine, or blue jay – but then something else is really interested in the flower, such as a honeybee.
Flowers are calling a little black bear
No, not a bear! He doesn't care.
They're calling a butterfly
to dip from the air.
Flowers are calling a wet green frog.
No, not a frog! She likes her soggy bogy.
They're calling a bumblebee
to look near their log.
Ten different animals/birds appear in the story as well as 9 different bugs and birds that go to the flowers. The book also highlights a variety of flowers in different shapes and sizes.
Begin your exploration by reading the whole book to the group. Then, try out different body shapes/poses inspired by the numerous flower illustrations.
Next, you can choreograph the dance with the students having one or more roles in the dance as an animal, insect, or flower.
Possible extensions to the lesson include:
- A Garden of Ordinary Miracles by Robert R. Zakanitch (to explore more flowers and their shapes)
- Little Green by Keith Baker (to explore hummingbirds and their pathways/actions)
—————-
Dancing Words Blog 
Leave a comment