Today we are sharing a beautiful picture book that shares a story of a young girl combining her family culture with her new society culture. It teaches about Kathak, a classical form of Indian dance. The book is Music of the Bells by Anitha Rao-Robinson and illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat. It is recommended for ages 3 to 7.
About the Book:
A stunning picture book that celebrates the power of movement in storytelling and is perfect for fans of Finding My Dance by Ria Thundercloud and Bunheads by Misty Copeland!While living in India, Neela danced Kathak–a form of classical Indian dance that uses movement to tell stories–but now that her family has moved, she dances ballet like the other kids in her school. She loves ballet and her new friends, but she missed the feeling of being strong and graceful all at once, the stories that Kathak dances hold, and of course the jingle, jingle that her anklets make as she moves across the stage.
Neela decides to take a chance and sign up to do a Kathak routine at the annual showcase, but it’s been a while since she’s danced in this style, and she worries that the other kids won’t like it. When Amma reminds Neela to stay true to herself, Neela lets the music of the bells guide her.
From Me:
In this book we meet Neela who is getting ready for dance class and sees her old Indian dance clothes. She remembers the bells from when she danced in India. She has to run off to her ballet class, but she misses her Indian dance and the music of the bells around her ankles. She thinks of all the memories that come back with her thoughts of Kathak dance. When it is time to sign up for the dance showcase, she decides to share a bit of her true self and signs up for Kathak. She gets nervous when she begins to practice and struggles with the steps. When her mother reminds her of why she likes Kathak, the moves come back. Her dance ends up being a combination of both of her cultures.
I love the beautiful pictures and how dance is a way of telling the dancer's story or a story. Neela finds her story in the combination of Kathak and ballet. She loves the music of the bells when she shakes her legs. It brings back her memories of life in India, and she adds some ballet moves to show her growth in her new country.
I love that the book focuses on the memories and connection to family and friends. The bells remind her of life in India. She has memories of her grandmother and her uncle's music and so much more. Ballet is time with friends in her new country. She loves dancing with her friends. It is a story about being true to oneself but also growing with changes in one's life.
This book is perfect for every dancer. It is also a sweet book sharing mixing cultures as well as learning about Kathak. At the end of the book is the Author's Note explaining about Kathak. It is a wonderful resource and introduction to this beautiful dance.
