I Am a Bon Dancer

Written by Brandi-Ann Uyemura. Illustrated by Amy Matsushita-Beal.   It’s a young Japanese-American girl’s first time at the Obon, “Festival of Souls,” one of the largest Buddhist festivals. It’s just like her grandfather described: the smell of corn dogs, the glow of hanging paper lanterns, the beat of taiko drums. But Grandpa Jo didn’t tell her that everyone else already knew how to dance! Suddenly, the lanterns feel like spotlights. She wish, wish, wishes she could dance, but she can’t bring herself to try… until Grandpa Jo encourages her to remember the meaning of the Obon Festival—celebrating our family members who have passed on—and to imagine her beloved Grandma Nat dancing along with her. Because she is there, and behind her are her parents, sugar-cane cutters, and behind them are their parents, who came to Hawai’I on ships from Japan… My body moves to the rhythm of the music. I am a bon dancer, one in a line of dancing ancestors.  Ages 4 to 8. Hardbound: 32 pp.