|
|
Rick's Books |
|
 |
Hardcover
Library Binding |
|
Summary:
|
As Noah calls, the animals on the ark perform a variety of square dance steps. |
|
Blurb:
|
Do-si-do your corners all!
Walk or waddle, hop or crawl. Now allemande left and everybody chain-- Let your feet keep beat with the pourin' rain. Pick your partners and form a square--there's a do- si-do-ing good time to be had aboard the ark tonight! The square dance calls ring out, the animals parade and prance, and the illustrations pop right off the page in this fresh and original tale of ark antics. |
|
Reviews:
|
"evokes all the spirit of a barnyard hoedown...inventive rhymes...the final, joyful verse celebrates the end
of the storm, but readers will believe that everyone had a good time waiting it out." --
Kirkus
.
"A spirited lark aboard the Ark...a do-si-do-ing good time...the illustrations are so spirited that you'll feel like picking a partner and forming a square dance yourself." -- The Cincinnati Herald . "bouncy text...exuberant rhythm" -- School Library Journal . "rollicking rhymed text..toe-tapping hoedown" -- Wichita Eagle . "The verse is simply fun and the bright full-paged illustrations are happy and fun-filled." -- The Open Book , Fall '95. "The rain pours down while Noah, the crew and animals enjoy a western style hoedown. Illustrations place the animals in square dance poses that bring on the laughs. What else can you do when a bewildered billy goat allemandes with an imperious turkey. Background square dance music makes this a swinging rhythmical revel." -- Tips & Titles of Books . "Anyone who thinks that the passengers on Noah's ark just sat around waiting for the rain to stop could be tapping their toes at Noah's Square Dance instead. Author Rick Walton begins the call with a "do-si-do" and an "allemande left" as humans and animals circle, twirl and promenade. Colorful and lively illustrations show the dancers parading and prancing around the close quarters. This is a silly little interlude that can be read and enjoyed vicariously, or actually used as a sample square dance call to get listeners out of their chairs and stomping to the book beat. Recommended." -- Library Talk , Worthington, Ohio, Apr 1996. "Just right for storytelling..." --Marilou Sorensen, Deseret News , Nov. 14, 1995 "lively picture book interpretation of how Noah nad the gang might have passed those 40 nights on the ark....toe- tapping rhythm of the text mimics a square dance caller's chant, with vibrant illustrations" --Myla Barnhardt, Greensboro NC News & Record , Mar 3, 1996. "Young children who know the story of Noah will enjoy the animals' antics as this book is read to them." --Sandee Brawarsky, Jewish Week , Jan 19, 1996. "The rhythm promenades through the book, setting an upbeat tone and a lively pace for reading aloud ... think of this book as a child pleaser, a plucky tugboat among the elegant, three-masted schooners. As picture-book versions of Noah's ark go, it's a hoot." -- BookList |
|
Dedication:
|
To Mom and Dad, who did their best to keep their animals from drowning.
|
|
Author Bio:
|
Rick Walton, the author of seventeen joke books and five picture books (including What to Do When a Bug Climbs In Your Mouth and Other Poems to Drive You Buggy ) loves to read, travel, play the guitar, study foreign languages, and write for children. He lives with his wife and their three sons in Provo, Utah, on a hill the neighbors call Walton's Mountain, amidst a conglomeration of birds, deer, squirrels, and the occasional neighbor's cat. |
|
Rick's Notes:
|
Noah's Ark makes a great setting for stories, because you have people an all kinds of animals all trapped
together in one spot. I took a square dancing class in college. Somehow those two ideas came together one day and
Noah's Square Dance
was born.
Right from the beginning I decided I want the text to be a danceable square dance. (I don't know if it's a good square dance, but it is danceable.) That made things very difficult. With each page I had to know exactly where each of the characters were. And every time I edited the book (and I edited it several times) it created a domino effect. Changing one line sometimes meant changing a dozen lines. The square dance class I took in college was a lot of fun. And it was great exercise, especially for the few guys in the class. For some reason girls like dance classes more than guys. There were always more girls than guys, so the guys had to dance the whole time while the girls were able to sit out and rest from time to time. Square dancing wasn't the only dance class I took in college. I also took social dance, latin dance, folk dance, and ballroom dance. I loved to dance. Still do, though I don't get to as much as I'd like. Right now most of my dancing is done around the house with my kids. My favorite dance is the samba. Look at the last page of the book. Something's missing. The rainbow! But wait, turn back one page. See the text? There's the rainbow! |
|
|
Curriculum suggestions:
: Ways to use Noah's Square Dance in your classroom, ideas for enrichment, and just general fun activities.
   |
          |
|
