Underpants Dance by Marlena Zapf (review)

Poor Lily McBride! Her mother has just outlawed the Leaping-Down-the-Steps Underpants Dance, her teacher has banned her Top-of-the-Slide Underpants Dance, and now she must exchange her skirt—perfect for Underpants Dancing—for jeans. Good thing her love of her unmentionables is matched by her creativeness of spirit; soon her pink frilly underwear become fancy overpants in a fashion experiment that makes even prim and proper older sister Marigold laugh. With playful prose echoed in pink and yellow-hued gouache and line illustrations, nothing about this giggle-inducing readaloud takes itself too seriously. Characters’ joyful yet minimally drawn faces echo those of the Rugrats, formed enough to convey emotion but undefined enough to keep the focus on Lily’s escapades. Whatever adults may think of her antics, young audiences will delight in Lily’s silly, indomitable spirit and, of course, her beloved and very visible underpants.