A Woodland Dance Party by Kendal Grey

*I was provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Click Cover To Order

This story is a delightful tale that reminds us all about the importance of accepting those we meet as they are, weirdness and all.

My imagination was tickled when I began reading about a grumpy Yeti who didn't have any friends, and then found commonality with a brave and similarly weird princess. Together, they enjoy the simple joys of their favorite music played on vinyl (not digital downloads) and dancing with their woodland friends.

When the princess's parents, the king and queen, organize a party that is not her cup of tea, and focuses more on pretense than on originality, they quickly recognize their mistake and make amends by throwing her the party she truly wanted.

I love how this story embraces not only the obvious lesson about never pre-judging or expecting people to behave in a particular way... but more important to me was the reminder that each of us, child, animal, and Yeti alike, should be proud of our weirdness, and never compromise what we love simply to be accepted by the "in crowd". Those who mean the most to us... our forever friends... will always love us as we are... weirdness and all!

The artwork drawn by Liz Emirzian was, I think, the perfect style to tell this story. The colors were rich, and the details in the faces, clothing, and backgrounds were vibrant and added tremendously to my enjoyment of the story.

I look forward to sharing this book with the little people in my world, and I'm excited to discover more stories from this fantastic author/illustrator team!