Interview with Valerie Bolling, Author of Let’s Dance

Let’s Dance

Let’s Dance is a beautiful book written by Valerie Bolling and illustrated by Maine Diaz.

With musical, rhyming text, author Valerie Bolling shines a spotlight on dances from across the globe. Illustrator Maine Diaz brings this story to life and shows off the moves and the diverse people who do them.

When Let’s Dance book arrived, I was immediately drawn to the vibrant colors and upbeat text of the story. Each page is a like a work of art and a lesson for children to learn about diversity of dance and music across the globe. As you read this book aloud, you can hear the movement and beat in the words. Encourage your child to read the text with you and dance along. Learn new vocabulary with your child by reviewing the names of the dances such as the Flamenco, Kathak, and the Cha-Cha. A fun carryover activity with your child would be to show some videos of the different dances.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, use this book Let’s Dance for a movement break or your exercise time during the day. Dancing is great exercise and fun for both children and adults.

Author and Educator, Valerie Bolling

Valerie Bolling has been an educator for over 25 years and a writer since age 4. She is a graduate of Tufts University and Columbia University, Teachers College and currently works as an Instructional Coach with middle and high school teachers.

In addition to writing picture books, Valerie writes a Monthly Memo for teachers that she publishes on Twitter, and she has been published in The National Writing Project’s Quarterly (“The Family Writing Project Builds a Learning Community in Connecticut”) and NESCBWI News (“Microaggressions Don’t Feel ‘Micro’”). Recently, she had a poem accepted for publication by Cricket Media.

To learn more about Valerie, visit her website here.

Let’s Dance!