Module 3 - Song and Dance Man

Summary:

This is a very sweet story about a grandpa and his grandkids.  Every time the kids visit their grandparents they hear many great stories of the old days from their grandpa.  Their grandfather used to perform in Vaudeville and wants to share his experiences with them.  He takes them to the attic where they all dress up in hats, shoes and clothing from his Vaudeville days.  The grandfather shows them how fun and exciting singing and dancing in a show could be.  Basically this is a tale of showing new generations how people had fun before things like television.  Grandpa sang and danced while the kids watched and they had an absolute blast.  This was also about how grandpa got to relive a very special time in his life.


APA Reference:


Ackerman, K. (1988). Song and dance man. New York, NY:  Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.

My Impressions:

I thought this story was very endearing.  I can remember the first time I had ever heard of Vaudeville and that was on the I Love Lucy show.  Fred was always trying to get his old Vaudeville stuff out and sing and dance everywhere.  I always thought it was so much fun.  I like that the story shows another side to entertainment that does not require remotes or satellites! There was singing, magic and lots of dancing. This can be very eye opening to children of newer generations.  I also liked how rejuvenated grandpa became when he started reliving his own memories from a time period that he was so fond of.  

Professional Reviews:

Kirkus Review

Lucky kids--Grandpa used to be in vaudeville, and when he takes them to his attic, gets old costumes and tap shoes out of his trunk, and not only sings and dances but tells jokes and does magic tricks, ""the show is better than any show on TV."" Dumpy old Grandpa is comfortable in his modest retirement, but he can still enthrall his loving audience of three, bringing the past to life with a little improvisation and a lot of spirit.  Though he's soon out of breath, ""his voice is as round and strong as a canyon echo""; and when he starts to tap-dance, the sounds ""are too many to make with only two feet.""  Gammell's colors illuminate the uncommon joy of these homely folks and capture the ghostly images of Grandpa's memories as well as the ebullience he conveys to the children.  A warm portrait of a grand old man at peace with his past.

Knopf. (1988, October 10). Song and dance man (Book Review). Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from  https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/karen-ackerman-2/song-and-dance-man/#review

Library Uses:

a.       I think that this book would be ideal for students to use as inspiration for putting on their own Vaudeville show.  This could be an entire production and allows for some research into the past.

b.      I could see using this in an elementary setting for a type of movers and shakers lesson.  There are many books that inspire physical activities.