Publisher Description

Grab a scarf and join the fun! Kids will love dancing along with Tammy, Ballerina Konora, and their new friends in this sweet adventure that's perfect for preschool and kindergarten kids and classrooms. Readers are invited to stretch, spin, jump and more as they act out the journey to find Tammy. Kids can use a scarf as a backpack, a paddle, butterfly wings, a towel, and a pillow to enhance the fun and explore movements, dance fundamentals, and early-learning concepts. Tammy the Troll: A Dance in the Forest is ideal for ages 3-6. As kids move along with the book's diverse characters, they explore levels, direction, spatial awareness, emotions, balance, movement quality, partnering, and more.
Dance stories are a wonderful way to combine books and movement for kids who love both. Tammy the Troll: A Dance in the Forest is perfect for dance class, creative movement play, physical education, or any setting where children are inspired to explore and express themselves. If you're a caregiver, daycare provider, or teacher working with preschoolers, kindergarteners, or first-graders, your kids will love this active adventure.
Tammy the Troll: A Dance in the Forest is the first book in a series of prop-based movement stories that take kids on an imaginative journey using objects such as parachutes, bean bags, cushions, or balloons. This book is a collaboration with Pacific Northwest Ballet faculty member, Dina McDermott, who shared her dance students' favorite class activity. Once Upon a Dance has won over 40 book awards including Family Choice and Mom's Choice Gold Awards. The mom-daughter team earned a Kirkus Reviews Starred Review and was named a Top 10 Author of 2022 by Outstanding Creator Awards.

Author Biography

Once Upon a Dance is a mother-daughter team who share a passion for dance and storytelling. Teacher Terrel and Ballerina Konora create books that spark imagination and inspire children to explore movement, breath, and connection. Four series span ages 3-12: - Dance Stories with Props (for age 3+) (2023) - Dance-It-Out! Creative Movement Stories (4-9) - Dancing Shapes: Ballet and Body Awareness (6-9) - Ballet Inspiration & Choreography Concepts (8-12)Once Upon a Dance was named a top 10 author of 2022 by Outstanding Creator Awards, and they've been honored by over 40 book awards, 1000+ 5-star reviews, and a Kirkus Star. They donate all royalties to charities supporting the arts, animals, environment, or people. Visit DanceStories.com for more info. After earning her B.F.A. in dance from The Juilliard School, Dina performed Off-Broadway and in the downtown New York contemporary dance scene for five years. Upon graduating with an M.F.A. from Arizona State University, Dina pursued a teaching career, serving on the dance faculties of University of Oklahoma, Kansas State University, Stephens College and Oakland University and later taught at community centers, public school residencies, and in detention centers. In 1997, she received a GIRAFFE Award, for her arts programming work with at-risk youth in Seattle. Her career has encompassed dancing, teaching, choreographing, dance writing and serving as artistic director and co-founder of LEAVING GROUND/DANCE, which performed throughout the U. S. and Canada. Since 2001, she has served on the faculty of Pacific Northwest Ballet School. Dina published her first book, A Dancer's Diary: Around the World in Thirteen Dances in 2017. In fall 2019, she traveled to southeast Finland for an international artist's retreat, where she began work on a memoir about her family.

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