Publishers Weekly
When the red-haired girl in this quirky rhymed narrative asks her grandmother to accompany her to the zoo at night, Granny says she'd rather not: "My nightie's on, my teeth are out./ I think I'll stay in bed." In a fun role-reversal, it's the youngster who cajoles the adult into going to the party. Like an indulgent parent, the red-haired girl calls Granny a "goose" as she kisses the woman's nose and toes, and helps her put on her favorite purple tennis shoes. Murdocca (the Magic Tree House series) doesn't miss a chance to add humorous action and silly details to pore over on repeat readings. Granny's many cats watch her bemusedly as her granddaughter combs her hair into a neat bun, and the zoo's outlandish party animals are outfitted like children playing outr dress-up. The tiger wears a fruity Carmen Miranda hat, while snakes in party hats coil round her, and Granny's favorite escort is a courtly ursine Uncle Sam. Murdocca transforms the stage business of Granny's false teeth and her whining into endearing eccentricities. When it's time to go home, the frazzled Granny kisses her patriotic partner on the snout and dreams of waltzing with the dapper bear in a Ginger Rogers ball gown. Author and artist inject some kick into a familiar theme with this whimsical Dancing Granny and her granddaughter sidekick. Ages 3-6. (Sept.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Sharon Salluzzo
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Children's Literature
A little red-haired girl invites her granny to the zoo one evening. Her granny declines but the little girl won't take no for an answer. Off they go, and the animals are waiting for them at the gate. Granny dances up a storm with each and every animal and has such a good time, she dreams of returning to dance the next week. The bright and zany illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the upbeat story in verse. The lion is dressed like Carmen Miranda and the bear is wearing tails and an "Uncle Sam" hat. This is one granny who can really "cut a rug." Readers will find giggles galore in this nighttime fantasy. 2003, Marshall Cavendish, Ages 3 to 7.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-Granny would rather stay at home in her nightie, but her insistent granddaughter dolls her up and drags her out to an after-hours party at the zoo. Once there, the woman becomes the belle of the ball, waltzing and twirling with monkeys, a rhino, and a particularly handsome bear. After hours of dancing, grandmother and granddaughter return home on the train, tuckered out but dreaming of the next wild celebration. Winthrop's rhyming text is well paced and a delight to read aloud. Granny's farewell to her bear beau is particularly endearing: "`You'll come again, you won't forget?'/the eager bear called out./She shut her eyes, she pursed her lips/and kissed him on his snout." Murdocca's spreads are riots of color and activity, with creatively imagined animal guests preening and prancing. Children will find new details upon repeated readings, from the stately bear in his stars-and-stripes tuxedo and top hat to the tiger decked out la Carmen Miranda to the snake sporting a single sneaker. A charming tale for bedtime or storytime.-Eve Ortega, Cypress Library, CA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A grandmother in purple sneakers and a waltzing bear trip the light fantastic. A determined child coaxes her weary Nana out the door with tales of fleet-footed fauna at the local zoo. There she discovers a bevy of wild creatures impatiently awaiting her arrival. Winthrop's tempo is definitely upbeat, swinging readers along on an exuberant, imaginative journey. She packs the rhyming verses with enough tomfoolery to tickle readers' funny bones: "Six silly monkeys waltzed with her, / the snake curled 'round her shoes. / She danced with each and every one/ to jazz and swing and blues." Murdocca's full-bleed and vibrantly hued watercolor-and-ink illustrations perfectly match the over-the-top tenor of the tale. Granny sashays with a slick alligator nattily attired in a zoot suit and the hippo sports a headdress constructed out of tropical fruit while a beret-clad vulture beats out a tune on the drums. Lighthearted and fun, Winthrop's whimsical tale will set little toes to tapping. (Picture book. 3-6)
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