Amy Wu and the Ribbon Dance

by Kat Zhang, Charlene Chua (Illustrator)

Overview

When Amy Wu learns about Chinese ribbon dancing, she can’t wait to try it out herself in this charming and brightly illustrated fourth installment in the Amy Wu picture book series.

Amy Wu loves to move. From wriggling to shimmying to toe-tapping, she just can’t keep still, not when there’s music all around her! So when Amy sees Chinese ribbon dancing for the first time, she has to try it out. Only, how can she throw the perfect dance party when she doesn’t have the perfect ribbon for her dance?

A special story from Mom may be just the thing to get Amy moving to the music again.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665916721
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	05/30/2023
Series:	Amy Wu
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	284,841
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Kat Zhang loves traveling to places both real and fictional—the former have better souvenirs, but the latter allow for dragons, so it’s a tough choice. A writer of books for teens and children, she spends her free time scribbling poetry, taking photographs, and climbing atop things she shouldn’t. You can learn more about her at KatZhang.com.

Charlene Chua (she/they) is the illustrator of multiple picture books, including Colorado Blue Spruce Award nominee Going Up!, the Amy Wu picture book series, and Stonewall Award winner Love, Violet. She is also the author-illustrator of Hug?. When they are not making art, they enjoy cooking, reading, and playing with their cats. Charlene lives with her husband (and cats!) in Hamilton, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

2023-03-14
Amy Wu twirls, taps, and troubleshoots in this latest story.

Whether it’s wriggling on the carpet during story time or hopping on her bed at night, Amy, a young Chinese girl, is always on the go. When she sees Chinese ribbon dancing on TV, she is instantly drawn to the fluttering and twisting swaths. She must have a ribbon dance party with her friends. They’ll each bring an instrument, and Amy will supply “the most important thing—dancing ribbons.” Looking around the house, Amy thinks outside the box to find a suitable ribbon replacement. Will a hair ribbon be close enough? Maybe a scarf or a tablecloth? Nothing seems quite right, and Amy’s bouncy feet are at a glum standstill—until her family and diverse friends encourage Amy to see past these details and have fun with her makeshift ribbons. Ultimately, she adjusts her expectations and learns to appreciate what’s most important—dancing and enjoying a magic moment with friends and family. This fourth entry is just as bouncy and buoyant as previous series installments. Illustrations expressively capture Amy’s enthusiasm and joy as well as her frustration and disappointment. Full of movement, Chua’s vignettes evoke the energy and celebration of dance and music in Zhang’s rhythmic prose. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A heartwarming whirl. (instructions for making dance ribbons) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews