Toy Dance Party: Being the Further Adventures of a Bossyboots Stingray, a Courageous Buffalo, and a Hopeful Round Someone Called Plastic
CCBC Review:
StingRay, Plastic, and Lumphy are back in another utterly charming chapter book from Emily Jenkins detailing what the toys are up to when the girl who owns them is out. From the opening chapter featuring a courageous and hilarious attempt at a snow rescue (involving plastic dinosaur placemats and a spatula) to the final pages involving an unfortunate (or not) incident with nail polish, this sequel to Toys Go Out (Schwartz & Wade, 2006) matches the first volume for winning appeal. There are revelations (who knew the toy mice had names?) and a significant new addition to the cast: a rubber shark the girl has christened Princess DaisySparkle (“Spark” to all who would be her friend). Spark’s arrival is a bit unsettling for insecure StingRay, but the real threat to them all is that the little girl is getting older. The silent Barbies seem to hold more and more of her attention. There’s not as much specialness for the toys anymore, and that’s a sad and scary thing. High humor, poignant tenderness, acute observations, and intense emotion true to the experiences of childhood are all part of this novel featuring unforgettable characters whose exploits will continue to satisfy and delight, whether shared as a read-aloud or read independently. ©2008 Cooperative Children’s Book Center 2008
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 7-10
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Action/Adventure
Friendship
Humor
Imagination/Imaginary Play
Jealousy/Envy
Toys
Publisher:
Schwartz & Wade
Publish Year: 2008
Pages: 159
ISBN: 9780375839351
CCBC Location: Fiction, Jenkins