When Nana Dances

This lively story will leap into the hearts of kids and their grandparents alike as it celebrates intergenerational relationships in rhyming text.

Nana can make any object a dancing partner. An umbrella, a broom, even a rake! Both onstage and off, she can shimmy, she can mambo, and do the bunny hop. She’s won prizes and can dance to grandpa’s music or to her own beat. But nothing is more special than when grandma dances with her grandchildren.

This fun story is filled with the movement, energy, and laughter that comes when kids dance with their grandparents.

Jane Yolen is the author of over 400 books for children and adults. Her books, stories, and poems have won many awards including the Caldecott Medal, two Nebula Awards, two Christopher Medals, three Golden Kite Awards, and the Jewish Book Award.

She lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. Visit her websiteopens in new window or follow her on Facebookopens in new window, Twitteropens in new window, or Instagramopens in new window.

Maddison Stemple-Piatt is Jane’s first grandchild. Following in her Nana’s footsteps, she trained in ballet from a young age. She has earned her bachelor’s in psychology with minors in Spanish and dance, her master’s in criminology and criminal justice, and is currently a Juris Doctor candidate.

She lives in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Priscilla Burris is an author-illustrator and a member of the board of advisors for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. Priscilla is represented by the CAT Agency, Inc.

She lives in Southern California. Visit her websiteopens in new window or follow her on Twitteropens in new window or Instagramopens in new window.

The grandmas in this buoyant picture book love to dance (whether it’s tap, ballet, or the bunny hop), and their grandchildren love to join the fun… The colorful, jaunty illustrations feature four ethnically and culturally diverse women alternating as Nana, while the first-person text expresses their grandchildren’s thoughts and feelings. The depiction of grandparents has become less stereotypical over the years, and Burris portrays the grandmas here as fit, active women who take joy in dancing and in sharing the fun. A lively appreciation of dance as it raises the spirits and binds generations together.
—Booklist

An ode to dancing grandmothers from a range of backgrounds, this picture book celebrates the fun that Nana creates, whether she’s shake-a-shaking, shimmying, or doing the salsa. Yolen and her first grandchild, Stemple-Piatt, who both trained in ballet from a young age, join forces for this dance-centered narrative… A cadenced celebration of grandparent-grandchild relationships.
—Publishers Weekly

Fall 2026 showcase – The Wisdom of Elders
—Children's Book Council

• Interview with the Author (PDF, 128 KB)opens in new window
  Conversation with Jane Yolen, author of When Nana Dances.
• Watch the author read When Nana Dancesopens in new window. Interested in this book? Purchase a copy to continue (or start) the conversation with the children in your life.