What if Baryshnikov or Nijinsky believed that their dance form was gender specific?
Varun goes to karate class and his sister and her friends go to a different class to learn the dance art form of bharatanatyum. One day the grandfather asks Varun to go with him to the dance school. Varun is embarrassed because he and the girls think that dance is gender specific and he is laughed at. But the music moves in him and his Thatha, grandfather, has a good idea. Great book for a wide audience!
The story is brilliantly illustrated by Kavita Ramchandran.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Yali Books/Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) via NetGalley. Thank you!

This picture book is so awesome!
I wish I had little nieces or nephews to share this with. It's a very wholesome reead.

This graphic novel was super adorable. It is about a young boy who gets a taste of Bharatnatyam when he goes to watch his sister practice. Shamed for liking and wanting to dance because he is a boy and because 'dancing isn't for boys', he is left saddened and upset, dancing alone. It is his Thatha (grandfather) that assures him that boys can very well dance too and gives him, and everyone in the dance school, a new outlook on gender and dance.

Bringing up such books today is such a heartwarming and delightful thing to witness. Being a Bharatnatyam dancer myself, this book was exciting and a jolt back to my own dancing days. The message that it portrayed and wrote for its readers was not only heartwarming, but also very important. Because when young readers pick this up, they will understand that dancing has nothing to do with gender. And that's such a great message to give out.

It's short and quick and you can read it in between chores, and enjoy the little tale of a young boy and his grandfather dancing.

Such a beautifully illustrated story that shows the relationship between the little boy and his Thatha as they try to solve the little boy's dilemma and help Thatha at the same time. The author provides the reader with some cultural insights woven into the story.

Lovely book that fosters boys participation in the classical dance of bharatanatyam. I love the message it imparts that there is no such thing as boys only or girls only, if you have a love for an activity then take the leap and indulge in it. This book is also beautifully illustrated. Stunning images to look at.

*Thanks to Yali Books & NetGalley for this Ebook in exchange for my honest review

I was granted complimentary access to Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps is the story of a boy named Varun who learns to embrace his newfound love for traditional Indian dance, even though he'll be the only boy at the dance school and all his friends think dance is only for girls. This book is both a great introduction to the existence and beautiful visuals of bharatanatyam and a great message about art being a gender-neutral form of expression. I hope this book inspires a lot of little boys to try dance, and that a lot of Indian kids see themselves and their culture represented here.

The illustrations are beautiful, and I love the fact that there are lots of different skin tones in the dance class. Dance is for everyone!

This book sends a beautiful message. The message that the author has wished to convey will reach the little minds and inspire them to work for their passion. Thatha character was my personal favourite. He was compassionate, understanding, and witty. He reminds me of my grandmother who passed away recently. This book is a homage to all the grandparents out there. Grandparents are such an important part of a child's life and the way they can teach can not be compared with anything else. The illustration part is executed neatly. I will suggest every mom/dad who is reading this review to buy this book and enjoy this story with your wards.

What a beautiful book!

This book is not only awesome for exposing students to a different culture- but it also speaks about pursuing your passion, listening to your heart, and going against gender stereotypes. I love how Thatha helps to nudge Varun to stay true to his passion for dancing. The author also talks a bit about the Bharatanatyam dance and includes a glossary for some Tamil vocabulary. I can definitely see having meaningful discussions with my students using this book!

The story was so sweet and the illustrations were sooo cute! The illustrations were done really well. I'm guessing watercolour? which itself is so hard to use but they were done beautifully!

Dancing in Thatha’s footsteps by Kavita Ramchandran and Srividhya Venkat is a book that challenges society’s norms. ⁠
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Varun’s sister goes to Bharatanatyam classes. Varun shows interest to learn the dance but is teased by others that traditional dances are not for boys. Will Varun be able to follow his heart’s desire? ⁠
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I liked the unusual theme of this book, which is challenging society’s prejudices. This book is also a good resource to learn about Bharatanatyam and a few words in Tamil.⁠
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Thank you to @netgalley and @yalibooks for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. ⁠
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Category: children’s picturebook ⁠
Published: Jun 2021

I wasn't expecting it but I teared up a little reading this! Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps follows a young boy named Varun who tags along with his grandfather and sister to her Bharatanatyam lessons and finds himself falling in love with dance. The only problem -- he has always heard that boys do not dance! However, with the help of instructor Ms. Kavita and his Thatha, Varun finds it in himself to pursue his love of dance and become the dance school's first male student. I was glad to read something so distinctly Tamil from its subject matter to the language used throughout the story. The focus on dispelling gender stereotypes in order to pursue one's passions is one that will ring with many readers. Kavita Ramchandran's illustrations are also lovely and perfectly suited the story.

What a wonderful book about inclusion, sweetened with exposure to an Indian cultural artform.

By watching his sister's classes, young Varun finds he loves dance, and has a strong desire to learn Bharatanatyam. However, he is confused and frustrated by the constant feedback from children and adults alike that "dance is only for girls". His grandfather Thata, comes through as a true role model with inspiration to ignore the naysyers and to dance, by showing him that he too was once dedicated to this artform.

The watercolors on each page are bold and beautiful. It was a particularly nice touch to see the photographs of both women AND MEN performing Bharatanatyam in the back, with a much needed glossary of all the Tamil words.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Yali Books for the digital ARC to read and review. Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps is such an inclusive and inspiring children's book.

At first glance, this is a beautifully written and illustrated introduction to the ancient Bharathanatyam dance. But start reading and 'Dancing in Thatha's Footsteps' is just so much more than that. In a few short pages, Srividhya Venkat manages to create a truly heartwarming relationship between grandfather and grandchildren and encourages all of us to stop worrying about stereotypes and go chase our dreams.

This is a wonderful story! When a little boy'realizes he longs to dance, he feels inhibited for several reasons. The story reveals his apprehensions o beautifully, When his thatha rises to his own challenge of dancing for his grandson, it is a powerful and moving moment. Really a fabulous story!

Children are good at imitating, so give them something good to copy. Even better if it helps in breaking gender stereotypes.

Varun likes to dance and tries to copy steps while his sister, Varsha learns dancing at her class. But she tells him that dancing is not for boys. It breaks Varun's heart.

Their grandfather who is a trained dancer shows him how even boys can dance if they wish to.

It's a beautiful book about breaking gender stereotypes and also helps inculcates values like determination and perseverance in young children.

This is a lovely book about following your dreams and not giving up. It is beautifully written and illustrated.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

This was a cute picture book for children of all ages and ethnicities! Even reading this as an adult I loved every page of it. I enjoyed learning about a new culture and also it was diverse in the way of not being sexist. This story was about two siblings who were both interested in dancing but, along the way her brother ran into some obstacles. However, he was quickly accepted into dancing. I recommend this to anyone!

I was tempted by the cover and the title because I was very close to both of my own grandfathers (The 'thatha' in the title is how many south Indian languages refer to their grandfathers, with the derivative coming from Sanskrit, which originally refers to father).
This is a concise story and approaches a different gender perspective than I am used to in such books. The young boy in a family is attracted to the idea of learning a traditional dance form which is predominantly taught to the females in the families almost automatically. This is where his grandfather comes in and proves to the larger crowd that there is no such limitation to the art form.
The story moves in quick succession without a long drawn emotional sequence, just a short one. It was cute and something I would love to show to my nieces and nephews if we ever get into a debate about 'blues' and 'pinks' in the future.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Children will love this delightfully colourful introduction to the ancient classical Tamil dance of Bharathanatyam. Not only does it provide an entertaining story but it also challenges and breaks gender stereotypes! Win win 😍

Brilliant, beautiful, badass!

From the gentle relationship between the grandfather and his grandkids, to the artistic details (the Pride flag, BLM!), to the loving way in which culture and heritage is presented. I loved the way that the protagonist's feelings were explored - talk more about little boy's feelings!! I loved the language glossary and did I mention I loved the art? The art within the art - gosh Varun and Varsha's home has beautiful art in it! Would I promote this book? Absolutely. Would I cherish reading it with my son at home - definitely.