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image of person or book cover 285783136845236512.jpg
Image courtesy of publisher's website.
y separately published work icon Josephine Wants to Dance single work   picture book   children's  
Issue Details: First known date: 2006... 2006 Josephine Wants to Dance
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

'Josephine is a kangaroo - who loves to dance ballet. Her little brother, Joey, tells her that kangaroos don't dance, they hop - but Josephine continues to point her toes and leap through the air. When a ballet troupe comes to town and both the lead ballerina and understudy are injured, Josephine's talents are called upon to help save the day. Can she do it and, more importantly, does it matter that she's a kangaroo?' (Source: publisher's teachers' notes).

Adaptations

Josephine Wants to Dance : The Musical Eva Di Cesare , Sandra Eldridge , Tim McGarry , 2018 single work drama

'Josephine is a kangaroo – who loves to dance. Her little brother, Joey, tells her that kangaroos don’t dance, they hop – but Josephine continues to point her toes and leap through the air.

'When a ballet troupe comes to the sleepy town of Shaggy Gully Josephine learns that there is another way to dance – ballet. As the Ballet company prepared to perform, Josephine snuck into town and peered through the window as the dancers rehearsed. She watched the dancers for hours and hours, then she went home and practiced at night… all alone. She spun, she swirled and pirouetted dreams… and at the end she always curtsied. She desperately wanted to dance like the ballerinas in pink tutus and silk ballet shoes.

'On the day of the first performance the Ballet Company was in trouble. The prima ballerina twisted her ankle. The understudy had a splinter in her toe.

'Who could dance the lead role? Who else could leap that high?

'Josephine’s talents are called upon to help save the day. Can she do it, and more importantly, does it matter that she’s a kangaroo?'

Source: Monkey Baa.

Teaching Resources

Teaching Resources

This work has teaching resources.

Teachers' notes via publisher's website.

Affiliation Notes

  • This work is affiliated with the AustLit subset Asian-Australian Children's Literature and Publishing because it has a Korean translation.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

    • Pymble, Turramurra - Pymble - St Ives area, Sydney Northern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: Angus and Robertson , 2006 .
      image of person or book cover 285783136845236512.jpg
      Image courtesy of publisher's website.
      Extent: 28p.
      Edition info: 1st edition.
      Description: col. illus.
      ISBN: 9780207200809 (pbk), 0207200807 (pbk), 0207200750 (hbk.), 9780207200755 (hbk.)
    • New York (City), New York (State),
      c
      United States of America (USA),
      c
      Americas,
      :
      Abrams Books for Young Readers ,
      2007 .
      image of person or book cover 5989091703505929820.jpg
      Cover image courtesy of publisher.
      Alternative title: Josephine Loves to Dance
      Extent: 30p.
      ISBN: 0810994313 (hbk.), 9780810994317 (hbk.)
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Diary Of A Wombat And Other Stories Jackie French , Sydney : ABC Audio , 2015 19918898 2015 selected work children's fiction children's

    'Jackie French is an award-winning author whose books are adored by children and parents alike. She is the Australia Children's Laureate for 2014-2015 and is Senior Australian of the Year for 2015. To celebrate these fantastic achievements, this special audiobook contains five of her most-loved children's books including Diary of a Wombat, The Hairy Nosed Wombat Finds a New Home, Josephine Wants to Dance, Pete the Sheep and Queen Victoria's Underpants.' (Audio summary)

    Sydney : ABC Audio , 2015
    Note: Sound recording
    • Sydney South, South Sydney area, Sydney Southern Suburbs, Sydney, New South Wales,: HarperCollins Australia , 2016 .
      Extent: 32p.
      Edition info: 10th anniversary edition.
      Note/s:
      • Published : 20th June 2016
      ISBN: 9781460752524
Alternative title: K'aenggŏruga ch'umŭl ch'undago?
Alternative title: 캥거루가 춤을 춘다고?
Language: Korean

Works about this Work

Out of Sight : The Censoring of Family Diversity in Picture Books Sarah Mokrzycki , 2019 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 57 2019;
'Family diversity has long been censored, silenced, and ignored in Australian picture books. Despite its long running representation in books for older readers, the concept of exploring family diversity at picture book level remains nothing short of radical. Of the little available, much comes in the form of issue-driven books and from specialist presses overseas, presenting a distinct gap in Australian children’s literature. The contentious history of diversity in children’s books creates added issues in the struggle for representation, and diverse stories (and diverse authors) face ongoing challenges. Furthermore, public outrage at the ‘shunning’ of nuclear families, as well as society’s distorted understanding of what constitutes diversity, present further complications in the advocating for family-diverse stories. This essay will examine what it means to be a family, the issues surrounding family diversity in picture books, and why such books deserve to be championed.'

 (Publication abstract)

Untitled Karen Cunningham , 2007 single work review
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Children's Book Council of Australia , February vol. 51 no. 1 2007; (p. 17)

— Review of Josephine Wants to Dance Jackie French , 2006 single work picture book
Untitled Vikki Turton , 2006 single work review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , November vol. 21 no. 5 2006; (p. 27-28)

— Review of Josephine Wants to Dance Jackie French , 2006 single work picture book
Untitled Karen Cunningham , 2007 single work review
— Appears in: Reading Time : The Journal of the Children's Book Council of Australia , February vol. 51 no. 1 2007; (p. 17)

— Review of Josephine Wants to Dance Jackie French , 2006 single work picture book
Untitled Vikki Turton , 2006 single work review
— Appears in: Magpies : Talking About Books for Children , November vol. 21 no. 5 2006; (p. 27-28)

— Review of Josephine Wants to Dance Jackie French , 2006 single work picture book
Out of Sight : The Censoring of Family Diversity in Picture Books Sarah Mokrzycki , 2019 single work criticism
— Appears in: TEXT Special Issue Website Series , October no. 57 2019;
'Family diversity has long been censored, silenced, and ignored in Australian picture books. Despite its long running representation in books for older readers, the concept of exploring family diversity at picture book level remains nothing short of radical. Of the little available, much comes in the form of issue-driven books and from specialist presses overseas, presenting a distinct gap in Australian children’s literature. The contentious history of diversity in children’s books creates added issues in the struggle for representation, and diverse stories (and diverse authors) face ongoing challenges. Furthermore, public outrage at the ‘shunning’ of nuclear families, as well as society’s distorted understanding of what constitutes diversity, present further complications in the advocating for family-diverse stories. This essay will examine what it means to be a family, the issues surrounding family diversity in picture books, and why such books deserve to be championed.'

 (Publication abstract)

Last amended 21 Aug 2020 12:34:46
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