Lured by the sound of 1980s and ‘90s music blaring from a lonely yeti’s treehouse in a “magical redwood forest,” a brave princess with impressive taste in music dares to climb the treehouse ladder to discover a vintage record player and a new best friend in Grey’s warm, thoughtful picture book debut. Though princess and yeti initially are wary of each other, each calling the other “weird,” they both soon erupt into joyous laughter, understanding that they “shared opinions on music, books, art, and the politics of the forest,” opinions that many of the princess’s family and courtiers find weird. Once the princess starts spending most of her free time with the yeti, the monarchs grow increasingly concerned about a risk to her connection to the human world. In tandem with Liz Emirzian’s brilliant illustrations, all muted treescapes and heartwarming woodland friendships, Grey creates characters who are fantastical but also undeniably cool. They pursue and share their authentic passions, regardless of whether those interests align with the status quo. Even the yeti’s forest animal friends are imbued with DIY individualism, as expressed through Emirzian’s fashion choices for the characters: while at a soiree at the yeti’s house, a bunny wears a teal sweatband, and one squirrel sports a T-shirt inspired by Joy Division. In the yeti’s treehouse, Emirzian creates a sanctuary, complete with an old-school espresso maker, overflowing bookshelves, and freedom for any guest to come exactly as they are.
Grey does weave a lesson into her tale, but what’s particularly refreshing about A Woodland Dance Party is that the moral isn’t for the edification of the protagonist; instead, it’s for her parents and the people who refuse to accept her as she is: a smart, courageous, passionate girl who is in love with the world. The princess and the yeti are not the ones who have to change, but rather the society they live in where conformity is prioritized over diversity. Come for the cozy illustrations of whiskery friendship, but stay for “the most EPIC DANCE PARTY of all time.”
Takeaway: Kind, delightful, story of a princess, a yeti, and their love of ‘80s and ‘90s vinyl.
Comparable Titles: Susan Verde’s I Am Me, Robert Munsch’s The Paper Bag Princess.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
