The Twirly Wiggly Dance

Little children are fascinated by weddings and no wonder, with all the excitement, the special food, levels of happiness and dancing. Little Intisar is very much looking forward to her Auntie Mahira’s wedding and is thrilled when her auntie asks her to be part of the big group dance at the Walima, the last party to celebrate the wedding. Intisar loves dancing but there’s one bit of the routine she just can’t get right, no matter how hard she tries. In the end, she invents her own move instead. With just five sleeps to the Walima though, Intisar is getting nervous, especially when her cousin says she’s just not trying hard enough. All ends happily of course, and Intisar is encouraged by her family to do her own special twirly, wiggly dance, freeing everyone else up to do their own moves too. It’s a lovely story about the importance of confidence and creativity and being true to yourself. For readers not familiar with Muslim traditions, there’s a special explanation at the end though there’s lots to be learned throughout the story and from Navya Raju’s vibrant illustrations.

Farrah Riaz introduces her book for Books for Keeps readers.