Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps

by Srividhya Venkat (Author) Kavita Ramchandran (Illustrator)

Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps
Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

On Sundays, Varun has his karate lesson, and his sister Varsha heads to dance school with their grandfather. One weekend, Varun reluctantly accompanies his sister to her lesson. Bored of waiting, he peeks into the classroom, and almost immediately, he is fascinated by the rhythm and grace of bharatanatyam, a dance from India that Varsha is learning to perfect. Varun tries a few moves at home in secret because...well, boys don't dance, do they? His grandfather is not so sure. Will Thatha be able to convince Varun to dance in his footsteps?

A heartwarming picture book about an intergenerational Indian-American family discovering a shared love for bharatanatyam, an ancient classical dance form that continues to fascinate young dancers across the globe.

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Kirkus Reviews

A culturally responsive picture-book critique of gender roles. (Picture book. 4-8)

Copyright 2021 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission. 

Review quotes

"This book's charming protagonist and believable plot provide a wonderful opening for conversations about the dangers of strict gender constructs."—Kirkus Reviews

Srividhya Venkat
Srividhya Venkat hopped, skipped, and jumped careers before finding her most cherished one--writing for children. She has published several picture books, including Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps, which won the 2022 South Asia Book Award, and The Clever Tailor, which won the 2019 SCBWI Crystal Kite Award. Having grown up in India and lived in three countries, Srividhya loves stories that are unique yet universal. Just like Anila's challenge with skateboarding, Srividhya has her own with swimming, which she continues to work on. And she also loves kulfi! You can read more about her at srividhyavenkat.com.

Kate Wadsworth's primary choice of wheels is a bike, and she spent her childhood riding around her hometown of Kailua, on the island of O'ahu, Hawaii, where she currently lives and works as an illustrator and graphic designer. She earned her BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, and she has worked with a variety of local and international clients, including Vans Triple Crown of Surfing and the Sony Open in Hawaii. Girls on Wheels is her first picture book. Learn more about Kate at katewadsworth.com and follow her on Instagram @wadsworthink.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781949528909
Lexile Measure
670
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Yali Books
Publication date
June 20, 2021
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV031020 - Juvenile Fiction | Performing Arts | Dance
JUV013030 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Multigenerational
JUV039100 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Peer Pressure
Library of Congress categories
-

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