Hip-Hop Lollipop by Susan McElroy Montanari (review)

Rhyming text follows young Lollipop, who loves to dance hip-hop ("Hands tutting,/ Knees jutting./ Arms cranking./ Body swanking./ Hip gyration./ Exultation!"). It may be time for bed, but Lollie can't stop, and she picks up her sister, Tasha, along the way. They dance through bedtime prep, and Lollie finally gets tucked up into bed and nods off, only to find herself "dreaming hip-hop!" The close-coupled verse pulsates but also changes its rhythms up enough to be interesting (and a challenge for the first-time reader-aloud, who'd be advised to do a practice run), and while there's not much plot, it's a lively celebration of the kind of kid who dances her way through life. Pinkney's kinetic line and watercolor illustrations carry the movement of the text, the bronze-skinned protagonist popping (and locking) against the swirling pale washes of background, often alongside her affectionate dog and cat. Youngsters who need to wind up before the bedtime wind down will find a kindred spirit in Lollipop. DS