The Electric Slide and Kai

Review
By Booklist

In the Donovan family, everyone has a dance nickname for their special moves except Kai, who can’t do the Electric Slide without knocking someone over. No matter how much his parents try to comfort him by saying that he has his own special rhythm, Kai is worried he’ll mess things upon the dance floor at an upcoming family wedding. But, determined, he takes lessons from his siblings and dad, practices for weeks, and watches video after video. Will he finally impress his grandpa and get the dance nickname he so desperately wants? This is a simple, sweet story about a small boy’s journey to feeling accepted and special in a large family with even larger personalities. In this Lee & Low New Voices Award Honor book, both the story and the digitally rendered illustrations celebrate the Black experience and feature a family of color as they blissfully tear up the dance floor, and the ending—while satisfyingly predictable—has an unexpected moment where Kai is encouraged by his kind new uncle to achieve his goal.