Tip-Tap Pop

by Sarah Lynn, Valeria Docampo (Illustrator)

Overview

Emma and her grandpa, Pop, are tap-dancing pals. They dig-shuffle-chug through town and put on a clickity-clacking, tip-tapping show every year on Emma’s birthday. But Pop is getting old. He starts forgetting things, even Emma’s birthday. And he stops dancing. Can Emma help Pop’s feet remember how to dance? Clickity-clack, clickity-clack, stomp-stomp-clickity-clack…Endearing illustrations rendered in gouache and pencils show that even the smallest act may spark a memory in an Alzheimer’s sufferer.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761457121
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	01/05/2012
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	11.00(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD540L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

At a young age, author Sarah Lynn discovered her love of dance and making music with her feet. Now as an adult, Sarah makes her own music with words. She lives in Southern California with her husband and children. And she still keeps a pair of tap shoes tucked away…just in case. Learn More: www.sarahlynnbooks.com

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 1—Emma has been dancing with her grandpa since she was a baby. They make clickety-clack, tip-tapping noises with their feet wherever they go and use hats and canes in their impromptu performances. The role of teacher switches to Emma, though, after her sixth birthday, as it has become difficult for Pop to remember things, and she is determined to find a way to keep their dance routines going. She learns the truth about his memory loss through a conversation with her grandma. "'His feet remember,' Emma explained softly. 'They remember today.' Gram smiled, reaching one hand to Pop and the other to Emma. 'And maybe we can help them remember tomorrow.'" Short text and attention-grabbing words combine with colorful gouache and pencil illustrations. The passage of time is reflected through birthday cakes and changing appearances. Emma's pink dresses stand out against the greens and blues on the pages, as does a lovable pup that is never far from her side or Pop's. With Docampo's inclusion of a gramophone, bowties, and suspenders, Tip-Tap Pop has a nostalgic feel and leisurely pace. A first purchase.—Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, AB, Canada

School Library Journal

The process of watching a loved one grow older with significant memory loss is full of unanswered questions--for adults as well as children. Although the author doesn't share any solutions, there is a tender sweetness in this title, as a young girl finds a way to reconnect with her beloved grandfather through their shared love of dancing. Pop taught Emma to tap dance before she could talk. The love of music and dancing joyfully springs from each double-page spread. Slowly, Pop starts to forget things like walking the dog and Emma's birthday. The sadness of things forgotten comes across clearly in the dog's doleful posture and the missing energy in the still air. When Emma notices that Pop's feet can still remember how to dance, a quiet hope grows that other special memories survive. A successful title in addressing a child's perspective of aging and memory loss, it nicely complements Mem Fox and Julie Vivas's classic Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge. (Picture book. 5-10)

Kirkus Reviews