Rap a Tap Tap

Last updated Tuesday, December 17, 2002

Author: Leo and Diane Dillon
Illustrator: Leo and Diane Dillon
Date of Publication: 2002
ISBN: 0590478834
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Date(s) Used: Jan. 2003

Synopsis: (from the publisher) This simple book for young children tells the life story of a ground-breaking African-American tap dancer. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1920s-30s. People said he "talked with his feet," and in the Dillons' graceful paintings of old New York, he dances from page to page to the tune of a toe-tapping rhyme.

Craft ideas:

• Make a Bojangles bow-tie, or top hat, and recreate his dance.
• Make a Bojangles button.

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don’t have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!