The Thumbtack Dancer

Starred review from May 15, 2017
With twinkle toes like Bill "Bojangles" Robinson's, a young light-skinned black boy has rhythm oozing from his pores.From morning until night, Gus taps everywhere he goes. Unable to afford tap shoes, he adds seven red thumbtacks to his shoes to make his fancy footwork audible. Every day, Gus attempts to convince the teacher at the local dance studio--an African-American man who wears dreadlocks like Gus'--that he has the moves to be a tap dancer. But the teacher will not allow thumbtacks on his hardwood floors: "You won't get through this door until you have real tap shoes." Gus finally realizes that his dance moves are just the commodity he needs to earn entree into the studio. Though the facial features of some of the characters are sometimes distorted, Gilchrist's airy watercolor illustrations skillfully capture Gus' perpetual motion, with his long locks flying this way and that in nearly every illustration. Some readers might find the teacher a disappointment: with the passion and potential Gus has for being a tap-dancing prodigy, surely the teacher could find the boy a used pair of tap shoes to help him start honing his craft. Gus' poverty need not be an obstacle. Nevertheless, it proves a suitable driver for the story and a showcase for Gus' determination. This story full of motion, passion for the art of dance, and onomatopoeia that lets readers hear Gus' tapping will urge readers to add thumbtacks to their own shoes and start dancing! (Picture book. 4-7)

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June 1, 2017

Gr 1-3-Creativity and hustle open doors (dance studio doors, that is) for an exuberant young dancer. Gus cannot afford tap shoes, so he relies on thumbtacks in the soles of his shoes to give his dances percussive rhythm. The refrain "yesterday and the day before" signals the boy's irrepressible love for dance. After his improper footwear results in yet another rejection from a dance studio, Gus uses his skills as a street performer to earn tap shoe money. Sound effects and onomatopoeia make this a lively read-aloud, with parts of the text bolded, in all caps, or in different typefaces for emphasis. The vibrant watercolor illustrations are sketchy and fluid, bound to appeal to children who love motion. Some of the more static images, particularly those of faces, are less successful, but African American Gus's shoulder-length dreadlocks and graceful arms make him seem to fly. VERDICT Pair this with Rita Williams-Garcia's Bottle Cap Boys Dancing on Royal Street to spark discussion of artistry, ingenuity, and persistence in the face of inequality.-Sarah Stone, San Francisco Public Library

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