Song and Dance Man


by Karen Ackerman
illustrated by Stephen Gammell

Grandpa was once a song-and-dance star in vaudeville, and one day when his grandchildren visit, they all climb the stairs to the attic to look through his old costumes and see some of Grandpas old moves. He performs the steps he did on stage and laughs so hard his eyes water.

Gammell's bright, energetic illustrations are a perfect fit for this feel good story.

Both the story and the illustrations shine with a sweet reminder of individuality and love. And, "bespectacled, enthusiastic Grandpa clearly exudes the message that you're only as old as you feel, but the children respond--as will readers--to the nostalgia of the moment." (Booklist, starred review) 

Parents: Have this sweet book available for a read-aloud next time Grandma and Grandpa come for a visit, as they will certainly relate to the sharing of memories of yesteryear.

This book won the Caldecott Medal (top award for children's book illustration).

Reading Levels
Interest Level:  PreS-Gr. 2         DRA Level:  20                  Lexile Measure: 780L
Grade Level Equiv: 3.8             Guided Reading:  L

See inside
Here are sample spreads. We love Gammell's luminous, Caldecott-winning colored pencil renderings!  These samples should give you an idea of the amount of text on the pages. In this first spread, Grandpa and his grandkids are climbing the stairs to the attic to see Grandpa's vaudeville costumes.