Ravi is fascinated by his grandfather's stories of India and descriptions of the fiery sun, monsoons, and winds. When he hears about the elephant procession at the feast of Divaali, Ravi's imagination takes flight and he is inspired to compose an elephant dance of his own. ( )

Elephant Dance is a superb and simple look into India's customs and landscapes for children! Ravi, a young boy living in America, learns about this far away land from his visiting grandfather. I loved how grandfather described everything in India. His descriptions provide the perfect opportunity to teach children about similies!

The end of the book has pages with more information about India, about the animals in the book, and about the spices and foods that are mentioned. I was enamored with the fact that there was so much information about India packed into a children's book! Although the writing itself is simple enough for young children, this is definitely a book that you could use with older children as well.

My class simply adored the pictures. Each page is so bright and detailed, it's extremely difficult not to be interested in the story. I was able to read the entire 40 pages without a single second grade child fidgeting. That in itself is an amazing recommendation! ( )

The colors and imagery of this book are mesmerizing! I really enjoyed the format of learning about India from a grandchild asking questions of his grandfather. The facts at the back of the book helped inform me so that I could have a richer discussion with my kids as we were reading. ( )

Summary:When their grandfather visits them, Ravi and Anjali are fascinated by his stories of India. Ravi especially loves to hear about the festival of Divaali, where parading elephants are given a place of honor in Grandfather's memories. Includes endnotes on the cultural heritage of India. Full color.

Personal Reaction: I loved hearing the culture of Indian. Very interesting.

Classroom Extension: I would have the kids make up their own dance to honor the Elephants. ( )

This book tells the story of a young boy whose grandparents are visiting from India. The boy has never been there, and is curious about it and his heritage. His grandfather tells him beautiful stories about all the wonderful things India has to offer. His words paint bold images in the boy's mind.
This is an absolutely gorgeous book. I'm in love with the illustrations. It's also a great example of descriptive writing, figurative language, and imagery and can be used as a mentor text when teaching these skills. I also really appreciate the fact that this book engages with Indian culture. India is really underrepresented in American literature and it's important to bring this perspective into the classroom. This book is great for 2nd grade up or as a read-aloud. ( )