Pirates Don't Dance

Jack longs to be a pirate. He loves everything about the job, from the peacefulness of the ocean to the opportunity to make new friends to the excitement of exotic travel. Jack also loves to dance, from the graceful glide of the glissade to the energetic leap of the grand jeté; to the controlled kick of the grand battement. In fact, Jack often dances as he does his pirate apprentice chores. Unfortunately, Captain Squinty Eye's number one pirate-ship rule is PIRATES DON'T DANCE. Dancing is too silly and not fitting for a rough, tough pirate. What will it take for Jack to convince Captain Squinty Eye that dancing is not a bad thing, and may even help Jack be a better pirate? Or will Jack and his dreams get tossed overboard? An empowering and relatable story about staying true to yourself and following your dreams. Back matter includes explanations of dance movements, as well as definitions of pirate speak.

Format List Price Your Price Qty
$17.99 $17.99
$17.99 $17.99
$29.99 $29.99
Interest Level Kindergarten - Grade 3
Reading Level Grade 1
Dewey E
Lexile 590L
ATOS Reading Level
Guided Reading Level L
Language English
Publisher Sleeping Bear Press
Available Formats Hardcover (9781534111585), PDF (9781534112070), Hosted ebook (9781534112612)
Copyright 2022
Number of Pages 40
Dimensions 11 x 9
Graphics Full-color illustrations

Seattle Book Review - Pirates Don't Dance

“This story demonstrates the importance of staying true to oneself…This book is an excellent choice for children ages three to seven, especially those with an interest in dance.”

Author, Illustrator: Shawna J. C. Tenney

Shawna J. C. Tenney found her brief pirate training one summer at an amusement park integral to the making of this book. She’s also grateful for the many hours she spent at the ballet studio in her youth, which help inform the rhythms, lines, and characters seen in her artwork today. Shawna is also the author and illustrator of Brunhilda’s Backwards Day, and the illustrator of Blood! Not Just a Vampire Drink, written by Stacy McAnulty. She lives in Utah with her husband, two kids, and two cats. You can see more of her work at shawnajctenney.com.

Full-color illustrations