Splashdance: A Picture Book

by Liz Starin

Overview

Ursula, a bear, and Ricardo, a human, are preparing for the water ballet competition, where the prize is a million dollars! But a new regulation at the community pool--no bears--leaves Ursula cut from the contest. Luckily, she encounters a group of undaunted animal swimmers at a local pond, and Ursula and her new team figure out a way to participate in the competition and make sure everyone is welcome at the pool once and for all. Filled with deadpan humor, adorable animals, and big themes about social justice and inclusion, Splashdance is a fun and splashy summer story with a lot of heart.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781466895928
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	06/21/2016
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	63 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Liz Starin studied illustration at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig, Germany; the Rhode Island School of Design; and the School of Visual Arts and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Liz previously worked as an editor with Junior Library Guild. Now she works as an author, illustrator, and computer programmer. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. She also runs the children's book illustration blog Pen and Oink. penandoink.com and cargocollective.com/lizstarin
Liz Starin studied illustration at the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst in Leipzig, Germany; the Rhode Island School of Design; and the School of Visual Arts and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. Liz previously worked as an editor with Junior Library Guild. Now she works as an author, illustrator, and computer programmer. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. She also runs the children's book illustration blog Pen and Oink. penandoink.com and cargocollective.com/lizstarin

Editorial Reviews

★ 03/21/2016
What starts as a loopy tale about an interspecies water ballet competition gradually reveals itself to be a call for solidarity and resistance in the face of injustice. Ursula, a polar bear, and her partner Ricardo, a human, have “trained and trained” to win the water ballet championship and its $1 million prize. But when the swimming pool suddenly banishes bears for being “too hairy,” Ricardo unceremoniously dumps Ursula for a giraffe. Despondent at first (she “cried for a week” under her kitchen table), Ursula joins forces with a new multispecies group that stands by its bear members. With a little subterfuge, they win the biggest prize of all: reopening the swimming pool to everyone. Whether the action is underwater or on dry land, Starin (Roar!) has a loose, offhand style and gentle wit that invite readers to dive headfirst into a world where rhinos wear bikinis and water ballet moves include the “Mary Lou Boogaloo” and “Half Twist Chanterelle.” Ursula, with her ability to turn personal betrayal into collective triumph, may remind adult readers of the heroines of ShondaLand. Ages 4–7. Agent: Jennifer Mattson, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (June)

Publishers Weekly

What starts as a loopy tale about an interspecies water ballet competition gradually reveals itself to be a call for solidarity and resistance in the face of injustice . . . Ursula, with her ability to turn personal betrayal into collective triumph, may remind adult readers of the heroines of ShondaLand.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review, "Best Summer Books 2016"

“The straightfaced silliness of the premise guarantees laughs, but there’s also real tenderness . . . The use of bears as this world’s scapegoat and the randomness of their ban may give kids new insights into the concept of prejudice as well, and the book comfortably and capably mixes absurdity with pathos . . . Perfect for poolside reading or for storytimes about swimming, summer, or the Olympics, Ursula’s story is a real winner.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“A creative spin on inclusivity—an issue never before approached through agile polar-bear paw positions or the graceful lifting of camels in the air. Starin’s anthropomorphized cats, chickens, crocs, and more (along with amusing asides in the background) steal the show. It’s a consciously silly pretense, but discussion possibilities abound, and there’s no question it’s funny.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The message that loyalty and inclusiveness are important is a valuable one to share with children. Don’t hesitate to jump into this pool.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

10/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—Ursula, a polar bear, and her human friend, Ricardo, are set to enter a water ballet contest until a new rule bans bears from the pool. When Ursula shows up next day disguised as a rabbit, she discovers Ricardo has deserted her for a new partner. Although immersed in sadness, Ursula begins to practice her ballet moves in the neighborhood pond, where she meets a group of performers, including a brown bear named Ralph, who are also barred from the contest. Together they perfect their routine and hatch a plan. After all the contestants perform on the big day, Ricardo and his giraffe partner are declared winners. But they are overlooked when a chorus of "Ready…Set…Goooooooooo!" announces the unauthorized entrance of Ursula and her water ballet companions, who dazzle the audience with their "complicated routine" and Ursula's "triple banana flip" finale. Although they have not won this contest, Ralph assures Ursula they have indeed scored a victory, for a page turn reveals a new pool rule: "Everyone Welcome!" The watercolor and crayon illustrations greatly enrich the brief text and add many touches of humor, from the title page scene of bear and human enclosed in separate shower curtains to a list of such pool rules as "no frolicking; no lollygagging; [and] no filibustering…." Ursula's rabbit costume and home furnishings as well as announcements on signs and T-shirts afford added chuckles. Alert readers can even check out the title on the rabbit lifeguard's book. VERDICT The message that loyalty and inclusiveness are important is a valuable one to share with children. Don't hesitate to jump into this pool.—Marianne Saccardi, Children's Literature Consultant, Cambridge, MA

School Library Journal

2016-03-30
After being excluded, a polar bear gets her turn to shine.Ursula (the polar bear) and Ricardo (a dark-haired white man with a mustache and soul patch) are in a public pool practicing their routine for an upcoming water-ballet competition. They twirl, splash, and leap with precision. But one day, the pool management decides that bears are no longer welcome. It should be noted that a menagerie of animals is in the water at all times, but bears are suddenly too hairy. Ursula believes that dressing up like a rabbit will solve the problem, but Ricardo has already found a new partner: Hortense the giraffe. Ursula is dejected. She slinks to the local pond to practice water ballet by herself. There, she meets a new group (some bears but other animals as well), and they decide to storm the competition. Ricardo and Hortense win first place, but the ursine group captures the hearts of the crowd, and a more important victory is won. The pool becomes a welcome place for everyone again. This is certainly a creative spin on inclusivity—an issue never before approached through agile polar-bear paw positions or the graceful lifting of camels in the air. Starin's anthropomorphized cats, chickens, crocs, and more (along with amusing asides in the background) steal the show.It's a consciously silly pretense, but discussion possibilities abound, and there's no question it's funny. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews