Drumbeat in our Feet

‘We’re African dancers, telling our stories,

The way they did a long time ago.’

Everyone wants to dance when music  rhythms are strong. Little children everywhere dance as soon as they can and adults, here, watch television programmes about people dancing! This lively picturebook celebrates the music and dances of the ethnically diverse groups living across the countries of Africa.

The book begins  by taking us inside a dance studio – the Batoto Yetu  in Harlem, New York – where African dancers tell the different stories of their land as they did long ago .  This group take the dances out into theatres and communities.  Traditional dances are kept alive by children coming to the studios to learn them from teachers, their family and their community.   The book shows the extraordinary range of dance types that originate in Africa:  these include dances about the harvest ,  coming of age,  naming of children and dances revering  ancestors.  I specially liked the double spread showing the ‘image dancers’ who mimic animal movements.  The illustrations spill over with colour, movement and energy and these vibrant watercolours  show us a variety of costumes and headdresses. All this draws us into the excitement of the moment.

This is a splendidly comprehensive book. There is a map of Africa and a pronunciation guide as well as information about instruments and drumbeat signals.  Helpful, too, is the information about the history and significance of the dances placed at the left hand side of each double spread.  Readers need to be about eight or nine to manage this on their own. But the pictures of the dancing and the songs will be enjoyed by every age group from the youngest children upwards. In short – an uplifting, information rich and very interesting book.