Doggy Dance-Off

DOGGY DANCE-OFF is a lively, rhyming picture book about an unexpected champion. The story tells about the key dogs who are competing at the big Doggy Dance-Off. It soon becomes clear that there is a champion - but when they slip and the mask falls off, everyone is shocked to see a cat. Although the cat is worried, the others soon ask her to teach them her moves, and it now becomes the All New Cat and Doggy Dance-Off.

What I loved: This was quite a colorful and charming read about a dog dance contest, where the surprise winner is a cat! It encourages inclusion and learning from those who may seem different in a subtle way. The illustrations were lively and portrayed the dancers well, and the rhyming and repetitive text will work well for toddlers and preschoolers. The reveal was quite fun and sure to delight little ones.

The story is simple and easy to follow, making this a good pick for the youngest picture book readers. Quickly turning pages also make this work well for the toddler and preschooler age groups.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the rhythm was a bit off on some pages with some of the rhyming phrases being quite a bit longer than others. This caused some auditory stumbling when read aloud.

Final verdict: DOGGY DANCE-OFF is a jubilant and lively rhyming picture book read that will work well for young children.

The Doggy Dance off is really hopping, with Patch (and his fleas), Suki, Dynamite Doug, and Duke Doggy Doo. They are boogieing, break dancing, and tearing up the dance floor. When one pup spills his orange juice, one exuberant dancer in a black suit with a purple sequined mask and a fedora doesn't stop, but continues to get down and get funky... until she slips on the juice. Who is this masked, mad dancer? There's a big twist that I don't want to spoil, but it will illicit a lot of laughs from young readers. (The title of this review owes thanks to K.C. and the Sunshine Band.)