Parents' Guide to

Rupert Can Dance

By Jan Carr, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 3+

Endearing tale of exuberant twinkle toes and a dancing cat.

Rupert Can Dance Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

age 3+

Based on 1 parent review

age 3+

Keeping secrets isn't a good lesson for kids

Rupert doesn't want to do things if he can't do them his own way. He doesn't want others to teach him. This book teaches sneaking, keeping secrets, resistance to learning and avoiding others when you don't get your way. Weird book.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Author-illustrator Jules Feiffer is an expert at depicting the joy of movement; his iconic modern dancer was always expressively joyous. Now that she's pictured as a young girl in RUPERT CAN DANCE, there's an additional youthful buoyancy, and she seems to fly off the page. Mandy's dancing is infectious, and there's sly psychological insight in the observations about cats being free spirits and therefore not liking lessons.

The last page, with the two dancing together on the big stage -- Mandy grown up and Rupert in a top hat and tails (referencing another classic Feiffer character) -- is shiver-inducing and feels perfectly right.

Book Details

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