Frankie’s Wish: A Wander in the Wonder: an interactive dance book for children aged four to seven.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
People told tales of a magic feather hidden on the island to the east. The stories claimed the feather would grant one birthday wish to anyone who found it. Today was Frankie’s special day, and Frankie’s wish was to be a famous dancer.
Frankie’s Wish: A Wander in the Wonder, pg. 5
Ballerina Konora and Teacher Terrel – a mother and daughter team – are writing under the name: Once Upon A Dance.
Ballerina Konora is a pro-ballerina and has danced many iconic roles, such as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cinderella.
Teacher Terrel worked in early childhood education, in non-profits supporting kids, and is a Peace Corps volunteer.
Once Upon A Dance has received many awards, including the Readers Favorite Certified Great Read Award.
Frankie’s Wish – published in August 2022 – is part of the Dance-It-Out Creative Movement Stories for Young Movers.
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Frankie’s Wish – Summary
Frankie lives on Anorac Island and dreams of becoming a dancer. It is way – on his birthday – he sets out to look for the blue feather, which would grant him one birthday wish.
Frankie meets various creatures during his journey and must answer a few questions to learn where he should go. Will Frankie be able to answer the questions correctly and find the blue feather?
My take on Frankie’s Wish
Young readers from ages four to seven will love this interactive book. They still believe in magic at this age and will easily connect with Frankie and his wish to find the blue magic feather.
Journeys are never easy, but what I love about the story is that Frankie is never really in danger but only has to answer questions from various creatures to guide him on his journey.
Frankie learns important lessons about gratitude, friendship, and self-affirmation. Because of this, his birthday wish turns out much different than little readers would expect.
I love the illustrations of the different dance moves in the book. Right through the story, little readers are encouraged to act out scenes – either through the suggested movements or by making up their own.
Little ones will enjoy the colourful illustrations that add to the story’s appeal, and the clean font makes the book easy to read.
Should you get Frankie’s Wish for your child?
I highly recommend this book to young readers. The simple story and language make it ideal for seven-year-olds to read alone. But due to the interactive dance movements, they might prefer someone to read it aloud so they can fully immerse themselves in the dance movement when acting out the story.
Although most of the dance movements are pretty simple, younger children may need some assistance with some of the actions. The dance movements focus on different skills, like:
- Centring and breathing
- Small motor skills
- Quality of movement
- Showing emotion
- Shapes, etc.
Frankie’s Wish is an excellent book for physical education and creative movement activities in kindergarten, first, and second grade. It is a perfect read for children interested in various dance forms who enjoy dance-related movements.
For other books your child will enjoy, please read my reviews of Katy of Broadway, Incredible Adventures in the Jungle, and Imagine That: The Magic of the Mysterious Lights.
What was your child’s favourite pose from the suggestions in the book? We would love to hear from you. Please share with us in the comments.
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Hi! I am Susan
Welcome to my adventure
Why Read or Rot?
I have started reading at the age of four. I can remember how I often read under the covers with a flashlight when I was supposed to sleep.
During my early school years, we visited the library once a week. I couldn’t pick out my new book fast enough! By the end of the period, I would have finished it already, leaving me with nothing to read for the rest of the week!
Growing up, Fridays was the highlight of my week. Dad would pack the whole family into the car, and off we go! You guessed right – to the library! We were a family of readers.
In my adult years, I’ve developed a variety of interests like technology, photography, gardening and even writing. But reading was and will always be a part of my life!
Reading for me is like breathing. If I cannot read, my soul will quietly rot away…
Love it! Thanks so much!
Thanks Kristy. I love seeing some of the postures I used to do myself as a kid in the book.