Luna loves dance by Joseph Coelho and Fiona Lumbers

Luna loves to dance, she practises with her Dad, twirling around, while at Mum’s she loves to leap. When she dances, colours brighten and sound intensifies.

She practises with her class, repeating the words:

Double tap - spin
Duck - dive
Twirl - leap.

But when Lana comes to the last lines instead of twirling and leaping she trips and falls. She tries again, encouraged by all around her but the same thing happens and she does not pass the exam that morning.

She is distraught, she feels she cannot be a real dancer. But her parents tell her that to be a dancer she must practise. And without realising it, she does: she dances with her grandparents, at the theatre where her family goes to watch a musical, at the carnivals while at her cousin’s birthday party she is asked to dance and puts on a spectacular show, getting to the last line without falling. She is now a real dancer, and the world is full of colour and sounds once again. 

Fiona Lumbers’ illustrations reflect the love and support of Luna’s whole family as each is drawn with humour and warm heartedness. They are bright and sunny, full of colour and interest, and children will delight picking out the vast array of detail. I loved the sunny endpapers showing the range of children at the dance school, and kids will particularly love the fold out page, reflecting the brightness of the carnival.

Coelho’s books hum with warmth and closeness, love and compassion. His previous books about Luna include, Luna loves art  and Luna loves library day. Joseph Coelho lives in London and is a playwright, poet and performer.

Themes: Dance, Practice, Family, Community, Perseverance.

Fran Knight