2022 South Asia Book Award Winner for Younger Readers
Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps
Words by Srividhya Venkat
Art by Kavita Ramchandran
On Sundays, Varun has his karate lesson, and his sister Varsha heads to dance school with their grandfather. One weekend, Varun reluctantly accompanies his sister to her lesson. Bored of waiting, he peeks into the classroom, and almost immediately, he is fascinated by the rhythm and grace of bharatanatyam, a dance from India that Varsha is learning to perfect. Varun tries a few moves at home in secret because…well, boys don’t dance, do they? His grandfather is not so sure. Will Thatha be able to convince Varun to dance in his footsteps?
A heartwarming picture book about a multigenerational Tamil-American family discovering a shared love for bharatanatyam, an ancient classical dance form that continues to fascinate young dancers across the globe.
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Resources for the classroom
Picture Book | 5-7 Years | Grades K-2
978-1-949528-90-9 (Hardcover)
978-1-949528-89-3 (Paperback)
978-1-949528-88-6 (eBook)
2020952515
Asian-American families, Peer pressure, Toxic masculinity, Male dancers, Indian classical dance, World dance, Bharatanatyam, Multigenerational families, Sibling relationships, Grandparents as role models
AD670L
