Mix and match a parade of prancing pups!
Charlie and I thought I would ask you a question. Have you ever wondered if dogs could dance? Because I honestly hadn’t given it much thought until I opened a new little pocket book that has officially made its way into our Christmas gift guide because the Dogs and Charlie feel in love with it.
Come join me as we learn more about Dogs Can Dance by Naomi Tipping, this is a delightful, laugh-out-loud flip book that lets children (and grown-ups!) mix and match all kinds of adorable dancing dogs. And when I say mix and match, I mean the possibilities are practically endless! This is a book that will be read over and over.
This book will even make Santa smile before he even turns the first page. I absolutely love the blue cover with its bright yellow lettering. The letters are raised, too, so you can actually run your fingers over them. It’s a little detail, but I appreciate things like that in a children’s book.
There’s even a cute little brown puppy on the cover. And then there’s the adorable brown-and-white pup wearing a pink tutu. I’m still trying to decide what breed she might be. Could she be a Boxer? Whatever she is, she’s ready for the dance floor! Move over because she is ready to move.
I like how the Author Naomi Tipping has created something really fun with this book. Each page is divided into three sections, allowing readers to flip and flop different parts of the page and create all sorts of silly combinations which had Charlie and David laughing out loud.
You might start with Willow doing a flamenco, flip a section, and suddenly she’s doing a belly dance or the chicken dance! Then there’s Emmett, Nutty, Rolo, Art, Mopsy, Watson, Dash, Spike, Marco, and Otto. Isn’t Mopsy just the cutest name? And I especially like Dash! There’s even a Dalmatian. OMG! My mom would love that one!
Every time you turn a section, the dog and the dance change. You never quite know what you’re going to get next, and that’s what makes this book so entertaining. The dogs have personalities of their own, and Naomi’s charming illustrations bring every one of them to life.
Now, I have to admit that some of these dance names made me laugh. You’ll find all sorts of dancing styles throughout the book, including:
- Flamenco
- Tango
- Belly Dance
- Chicken Dance
- Robot
- Foxtrot
- Floss
- Grand Jeté
- Criss-Cross
- Plié
- Tap Dance
- Dad Dance
Have you ever done the chicken dance? Because that’s just hilarious! When I came across the robot, Charlie said, “Come on, I’ll show you how to do it!” Well, apparently, we have a dance instructor living in our house! And when we got to the tap dance, Charlie said he, Bear, and Sandy could put on a tap-dancing performance for us. Oh Lord have mercy! I would pay to see that! David wanted to know what exactly a Dad Dance was. I’m still laughing about that one!
One thing I particularly appreciate about Dogs Can Dance is that it offers more than entertainment. If you’re homeschooling your children, you can use this book to introduce different styles of dance, learn new vocabulary, and talk about the different dogs and their characteristics.
Children can explore dance names they might not have heard before, recognize different movements, and use their imaginations to create their own combinations. You could even turn reading time into a little family activity. Have everyone choose their favorite dog, make up a dance, and see who can come up with the silliest performance! You might discover that your family has a few dancing talents you never knew about!
David and I had fun looking through this book together. There were a few words he stumbled over, but that’s perfectly okay. That’s something I always encourage families to remember. Reading together isn’t about getting every word right. It’s about spending time together, learning something new, laughing, and making memories.
This book should take approximately 10–15 minutes to enjoy, making it a wonderful choice for our 10-Minute Reading Challenge. It’s also a book children of different ages can enjoy. Younger readers can have fun with the illustrations and silly combinations, while older children can explore the dance vocabulary and make up their own stories. And let’s be honest, grown-ups are going to have just as much fun!
If you’re shopping for someone who loves dogs, silly books, or anything that makes the family laugh, I think Dogs Can Dance would make a wonderful Christmas gift. Which is why you will find this fun pocket size book inside our Christmas Gift Guide/ Wish List.
It’s a cute, entertaining little book that encourages imagination, reading, and family participation. As were helping Santa load up the sleigh this Christmas, this is one book Sant might want to make room for all the animal lovers on his list! Now, I have a question for you. Have you ever seen a dog dance? What kind of dance do you think your family dog would do? I’d love to hear about it! Happy reading, and remember to stay Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed!
Book Details
- Title: Dogs Can Dance
- Author and Illustrator: Naomi Tipping
- Format: Hardcover
- Publisher: Cicada Books
- ISBN: 9781837330647
- Genre: Children’s Picture Book / Interactive Flip Book
- Perfect For: Dog lovers, young readers, families, homeschoolers, and Christmas gift giving.
Find Dogs Can Dance on Amazon:
Dogs Can Dance by Naomi Tipping
Looking for another fun book? Naomi Tipping is also the creator of the adorable Cats in Pants!
About the book:
A hilarious flip book featuring a cavalcade of mix-and-match dancing dogs.
In this tantalizingly terpsichorean follow-up to the bestselling Cats in Pants, award-winning illustrator Naomi Tipping presents an adorable line-up of dogs showing us their very best dance moves. Each page of the book is divided into three so you can mix them up to create oodles of different dog dancers, all rendered in Naomi’s charmingly hand-drawn, hugely expressive illustration style—these dogs are packed with personality.
Naomi is an extremely popular illustrator, with 116k Instagram followers and millions of views of her flip-book videos.
About the Author: Naomi Tipping
Naomi is an author/illustrator, based in Nottingham, UK. She enjoys making silly things that make people smile, as well as tackling difficult subjects, in a warm and accessible way. Naomi loves experimenting with materials, seeing how they respond to each other, and using unlikely materials in her work. She loves sunsets, shadows and reflections and her work is inspired by relationships, living in the city, and everyday observations.
When Naomi isn’t at her desk she can be found running around Nottingham, swimming in a lake, walking her dog, or curled up on the sofa with her cats!
GreatfulMoments.com
Grateful. Thankful. Blessed.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
