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Danny, Denny, and the Dancing Dragon: A Dance-It-Out Creative Movement Story for Young Movers
Movement, Breathe, and Imagination!
Interactive movement wrapped up in a charming story of new baby disappointment. Only little brother Denny has an amazing surprise for his brother Danny!
Kadessa the Dragon makes a fabulous dance partner in this third story from the Dance-It-Out collection, pandemic creations by an award-winning dance teacher and her Ballerina daughter.
Grown-ups sit; kiddos move and practice dance fundamentals on their imagination stage. Ballerina Konora is featured on each page as optional movement mentor to help readers connect with movement.
Interactive movement wrapped up in a charming story of new baby disappointment. Only little brother Denny has an amazing surprise for his brother Danny!
Kadessa the Dragon makes a fabulous dance partner in this third story from the Dance-It-Out collection, pandemic creations by an award-winning dance teacher and her Ballerina daughter.
Grown-ups sit; kiddos move and practice dance fundamentals on their imagination stage. Ballerina Konora is featured on each page as optional movement mentor to help readers connect with movement.
Paperback
Published June 16, 2021
1 person want to read
About the author
Once Upon a Dance
52 books121 followersTerrel is a dance educator and storyteller who believes in the transformative power of movement. Through her passion project, Once Upon a Dance, she’s published 42 interactive children’s books that weave whimsical stories with joyful movement.
With her daughter—a former Pacific Northwest Ballet Professional Division student—as the featured ballerina, Terrel brings movement into storytime, encouraging creativity, confidence, and self-expression in young readers.
Each book invites kids to stretch, twirl, leap, and imagine alongside positive characters—from dancing cats to ballerina zombies. Whether reading with a caregiver or moving along in the classroom, children are gently guided to explore feelings, movement, and connection through play.
Once Upon a Dance was named a Top 10 Author by the Outstanding Creator Awards for three consecutive years (2022–2024). The books have earned over 60 book awards—including 14 first-place honors, more than 3,000 five-star reviews, a BEST IN SHOW, and a coveted Kirkus Reviews Starred Review.
Discover the collection at www.OnceUponADance.com or follow their journey on social media.
With her daughter—a former Pacific Northwest Ballet Professional Division student—as the featured ballerina, Terrel brings movement into storytime, encouraging creativity, confidence, and self-expression in young readers.
Each book invites kids to stretch, twirl, leap, and imagine alongside positive characters—from dancing cats to ballerina zombies. Whether reading with a caregiver or moving along in the classroom, children are gently guided to explore feelings, movement, and connection through play.
Once Upon a Dance was named a Top 10 Author by the Outstanding Creator Awards for three consecutive years (2022–2024). The books have earned over 60 book awards—including 14 first-place honors, more than 3,000 five-star reviews, a BEST IN SHOW, and a coveted Kirkus Reviews Starred Review.
Discover the collection at www.OnceUponADance.com or follow their journey on social media.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
May 8, 2021
Babies are cute and cuddly, but can they do more than just lay around? Danny is thrilled when his baby brother, Denny, arrives. However, when Danny learns that Denny cannot participate in Danny’s favorite activity, dancing, he becomes disappointed. One day, Denny is laying on his back with his feet in the air and, before Danny’s very eyes, summons a friendly dragon named Kadessa. To Danny’s delight, Kadessa loves to dance, and the two enjoy discovering new movements together as their friendship grows.
This latest in the Dance-it-Out! creative movement series by Once Upon a Dance features a male dancer with dark skin, which is an inclusive shift for this collection. A note from Ballerina Konora at the beginning invites all readers to participate in the story, and the visuals in this book reinforce that message. Following that, the story is subdivided into three sections: a large illustration, the narrative of the story, and movement suggestions to enhance the narrative.
Each of the books in this series is illustrated by a different person, giving a unique visual quality to each installment. This book features blues, browns, grays, and greens as most of the action takes place in Danny’s basement. Ample open space and silhouettes on the walls emphasize Danny’s pervasive love of dance, and as he is always wearing a dancing outfit, it is clear that dance is a constant in his world. Kadessa the dragon stands out in purple and pink, adding a shock of additional color to the pages she inhabits.
Written for an elementary school-aged audience, the text in this story is presented in paragraphs made up of simple, direct sentences. The narrative is straightforward and inspires imaginative considerations through its storytelling. Below the narrative is a textual invitation to move with the story, incorporating each character’s individual style. Photographs of Ballerina Konora depict the movements and encourage participation and independent discovery.
Whether read in its entirety or one piece at a time, this book is another delightful addition to the Once Upon a Dance canon. Readers familiar with the other books will happily add this one to their collection, as will new readers who enjoy the mystery and excitement of imagining dragons, castles, and unicorns appearing in an otherwise ordinary world. Children who love to dance and move will look forward to interacting with each new character in these unique stories.
I received a copy of this book from the author and I chose to leave this review.
This latest in the Dance-it-Out! creative movement series by Once Upon a Dance features a male dancer with dark skin, which is an inclusive shift for this collection. A note from Ballerina Konora at the beginning invites all readers to participate in the story, and the visuals in this book reinforce that message. Following that, the story is subdivided into three sections: a large illustration, the narrative of the story, and movement suggestions to enhance the narrative.
Each of the books in this series is illustrated by a different person, giving a unique visual quality to each installment. This book features blues, browns, grays, and greens as most of the action takes place in Danny’s basement. Ample open space and silhouettes on the walls emphasize Danny’s pervasive love of dance, and as he is always wearing a dancing outfit, it is clear that dance is a constant in his world. Kadessa the dragon stands out in purple and pink, adding a shock of additional color to the pages she inhabits.
Written for an elementary school-aged audience, the text in this story is presented in paragraphs made up of simple, direct sentences. The narrative is straightforward and inspires imaginative considerations through its storytelling. Below the narrative is a textual invitation to move with the story, incorporating each character’s individual style. Photographs of Ballerina Konora depict the movements and encourage participation and independent discovery.
Whether read in its entirety or one piece at a time, this book is another delightful addition to the Once Upon a Dance canon. Readers familiar with the other books will happily add this one to their collection, as will new readers who enjoy the mystery and excitement of imagining dragons, castles, and unicorns appearing in an otherwise ordinary world. Children who love to dance and move will look forward to interacting with each new character in these unique stories.
I received a copy of this book from the author and I chose to leave this review.
Displaying 1 of 1 review