Dance with Oti: The Bird Jive

by Oti Mabuse, Samara Hardy (Illustrator)

Overview

Slide to the right! Kick to the left! Join the class and learn the steps to the Bird Jive in this buoyant book by a winner of the top British TV dance show.

It’s time for Mrs. Oti’s class, where everyone’s about to learn a dance in ten easy steps! There are lots of children, and lots of feelings, too. Meet Fikile in her sparkly new shoes, and Naira, who is super excited to get started. Gan is a little worried about joining in, while Martin can’t wait to show his parents what he can do. Everyone’s getting into the groove (with just a few missteps) when suddenly an unexpected visitor disrupts the class—one whose fluttery movements give Mrs. Oti an idea. With a warm, upbeat text from a two-time winner of the hit British TV show Strictly Come Dancing and bright, child-friendly illustrations, this picture book debut will dance into the hands of families everywhere who love to move. As an extra treat, there’s a QR code at the end enabling readers to watch a step-by-step tutorial and listen to the “Bird Jive” song. Here we go!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536225006
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	06/06/2023
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.94(w) x 10.13(h) x 0.33(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Oti Mabuse is a professional dancer, choreographer, presenter, and actress known for her star quality on BBC’s hit shows Strictly Come Dancing, whose top award she won in 2019 and 2020, and Oti’s Boogie Beebies. Born in South Africa, she has been dancing since the age of four. Dance with Oti: The Bird Jive is her debut picture book. She lives in London.

Samara Hardy is a designer and the award-winning illustrator of numerous picture books. She lives in Brighton, England.

Editorial Reviews

Filled with arrows and text instructions, this book will make for a very active storytime. . . . A charming story that will encourage little readers to MOVE!
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2023-03-29
Dancer and choreographer Mabuse, best known for performing on the British reality TV series Strictly Come Dancing, teaches kids how to do the jive.

The story opens with a racially diverse group of children lined up outside Mrs. Oti’s dance studio, waiting for their first lesson. Mrs. Oti, a Black woman, presumably a stand-in for Mabuse, greets them happily. First, it’s time to warm up. Hardy’s bright, expressive illustrations depict the children as they do stretches, jumping jacks, and more. Then it’s time to learn the jive. Mrs. Oti invites her students—and readers—to lift their hands up, then put them down, then to jump to the left and then to the right. The marvelous dancers make plenty of mistakes that add just the right amount of adorable hilarity—and will reassure uncertain little dancers that it’s OK to mess up. One child forgets her steps as she stares at her shoes. Another dance pupil cannot remember which direction he’s going. With kindness and wit, Mrs. Oti always reins the class back in and keeps everyone in step. A green parrot flies into the room, inspiring Mrs. Oti to tell the kids to grab some feathers from the dress-up box, flap their arms, and do the bird jive! Filled with arrows and text instructions, this book will make for a very active storytime. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A charming story that will encourage little readers to MOVE! (more information on Mabuse and the jive, QR code linking to a step-by-step tutorial of the jive) (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews