This Is Tap

About This Is Tap

A bouncing picture book biography of the tap dancer behind the Happy Feet penguin, illustrated by the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Winner of Hidden Figures.

This is a story about tap dancing, a distinctly American art form that blended English-Scottish-Irish clog dancing with African tribal dancing.  And it’s about a boy, Savion Glover–who was born to feel the music—to dance and perform and invent. And to delight and awe audiences with the movements of his body.  

Soul meets sole.
From that day on, Savion danced.
All the time. Not practicin’. Livin.
’Tippity, tippity, tappity, tappity, TROMP, TROMP, TROMP!

Follow Savion’s journey as beats crescendos into a love of dancing as self-expression. This picture book biography creates music with words and story, and dance with color and composition. Child and parent can read the rhymes and onomatopoeia together while enjoying the bold artwork.

Savion Glover revitalized modern tap dancing with his jazz and hip-hop influenced “free-form hard core” style. From his appearances on Sesame Street and choreographing Happy Feet to his Tony award-winning musical Bring in ‘da Noise, Bring in ‘da Funk, Savion has inspired a new generation of tap dancers. Read more about his impact on music and dance in the afterword. 

Feel the movement with bright, electric art from Laura Freeman, winner Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor for Hidden Figures. Hear the music with Selene Castrovilla’s bouncing, bold rhymes. This is Tap! brings Savion’s exuberant story of creativity and passion to young readers.

An Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection