Connie Bergstein Dow

Read about these beautiful creative dance-centered picture books by

five talented authors. You will love these colorful books filled with fun, play, creativity, and movement!

 

 

Connie's picks for picture books about dance and creativity (published by Shepherd.com)

                     Hold on tight!

 

 

Part 1 

 

Hold on Tight, Little Leaf!

 

You're a leaf in the autumn sun,

Clinging to a branch of a tall oak tree. 

Here comes a breeze. Try to hold on! 

Swing and twist, but don't let go.

A gust of wind comes along,

You flip and flop, but cling to the branch.

The wind rushes in, the tree sways again,

With a little "ping" you finally let go.

Swirling, twirling, you drift to the ground.

 

Part 2 

 

Leaf Pile

 

Run and skip and leap through the leaves! 

Clomp and stomp and listen to them crunch.

Hold them in your hand. Smell the dry, earthy scent.

Throw them in the air with your arms reaching high.

 

Now make a leaf pile, tall and wide.

Grab a rake, and sweep them up.

Gather the leaves in a colorful mound.

Look! Our pile is growing high.

 

Here comes the best part, ready, set, go!

One by one we run and jump.

High in the air, over the pile.

One more time, we jump right in!

 

 

Movement Prompts

 

Read Part 1 aloud, and then read it again, using the following movement prompts after each line:

 

Line 1: Imagine you're a leaf. What color are you? What shape?

Line 2: Cling to the branch

Line 3: Hold on tight!

Line 4: Now twist, swing, but don't let go 

Line 5: Sway with the breeze

Line 6: Flip, flap, flop while still holding on

Line 7: Sway harder with the big gust of wind

Line 8: You can't hold on. You finally let go!

Line 9: How many ways can you move like a leaf as you slowly float to the ground?

 

Read Part 2 aloud, and, as above, read it again, using the following movement prompts:

 

First Stanza:

 

Line 1: Run, skip, gallop, leap

Line 2: Clomp, stomp, then freeze and listen

Line 3: Imagine you pick up leaves, crunch them and smell the aroma

Line 4: Throw them in the air!

 

Second Stanza:

 

Line 1: Walk around in a big circle

Line 2: Imagine you grab a rake and begin to rake up the leaves

Line 3: Continue to rake as you make a big pile

Line 4: Show how high the leaf pile is!

 

Third Stanza:

 

Line 1: Imagine you are lining up and crouching down to get ready to run.

Line 2: One by one, run and jump

Line 3: Run and leap into the air, as high as you can

Line 4: Jump high, then fall gently into the pile

 

To finish the activity, play some upbeat music for the children to dance freely. as they think about their favorite things about the autumn season. At the end of the music, prompt them to fall gently to the floor, like the little leaf in the chant who clung to the branch, then finally let go and drifted to the ground.