Dancing Hands
Dancing Hands
Book Title: Dancing Hands
Book Author: Margarita Engle
Book Illustrator: Rafael López
This book addresses: The ups and downs of life, immigration, war
Potentially Tricky Vocabulary:
Oddities: an unusual thing or event
Discouraged: to lose courage or get frustrated
Questions to ask the student before reading:
What are some things that you do that make you happy?
What are some happy memories you have of doing things with others?
Historical context to give before reading:
Life is full of happy moments and sad moments. It’s the happy moments that can help us through the hard ones. Finding something to do that you love can also help. For Teresa Carreño, she was happiest when she played piano. Playing piano for others not only made Teresa happy, it also made those around her happy. This book shares some of the tough moments in Teresa’s life and how music helped her through them.
(The questions to ask the student and historical content above are interconnected. The historical context is typically going to be a supplement to what your student might not know. Some students may already be knowledgeable about a subject, others may not know much yet. Pay attention to what your student already knows and share the historical context accordingly.)
While reading:
Ask your student if they notice anything about the illustrations when Teresa is playing music. If your student isn’t sure, point out how the colors get bright and cherry while she’s playing, representing the happiness that she is bringing into the world.
After reading:
What are some songs that make you happy?
Do you like to sing, dance, or play an instrument?
Follow up activity (time permitting):
Have your student draw an image of them listening to a song that makes them happy. Encourage them to draw a visual representation of the song in the picture (it can be a “banner”, images in the background, etc.). Label the song on the back or along the bottom.
All definitions were adapted by Karina Connolly from the Merriam Webster online dictionary.