A tribute to the great tap dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson skillfully uses repetition and toe-tapping rhythm to involve young listeners in the narrative. Each simple, staccato line of text reveals something about Robinson, who danced for rich and poor, Black and white, at a time when an African American entertainer faced many restrictions. The author/artists artfully capture energetic movement in the illustrations, while phrasing the words so that the social issues referenced make sense on both a literal and a metaphorical level (e.g, “He danced past doors; some were open, some closed.”). “Rap a tap tap—think of that!” (Ages 4-7)

With bold paintings and a simple, rhyming text, Caldecott Medalists Leo & Diane Dillon bring young readers a rap a tap tap celebration of dance that will have readers clapping and tapping along.

"There once was a man who danced in the street / He brought pleasure and joy to the people he'd greet / He didn't just dance, he made art with his feet / Rap a tap tap--think of that!" This simple book for young children has the added bonus of describing the life of a ground-breaking African-American tap dancer. Bill "Bojangles" Robinson was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1920s-30s. People said he "talked with his feet," and in the Dillons' graceful paintings of old New York, he dances from page to page to the tune of a toe-tapping rhyme. Rap a tap tap--think of that!