Frances Dean Who Loved to Dance and Dance

Frances Dean is a little girl who likes to dance. However, she is also very shy and the moment she feels noticed, she finds she cannot dance. Until one day, music  in the form of song performed unselfconsciously encourages her to believe that she too could share her passion. In her first picture book, Oliver, Sif explored  ideas of difference. Here she takes a similar theme: how to express oneself. Sif’s style has a pleasing quirkiness. Frances is a little girl with a great deal of character, moving from an exuberant enjoyment of moving to uncertainty and loneliness; moods conveyed with great economy of line. The wooded park setting is filled with busy people, birds and animals providing plenty of visual interest and a fitting background to Frances’  journey. A delightful and thoughtful picture book.