Dancing marks the rites of passage in a daughter's life and that of the father who loves her. From her first carefree twirling in the flower-dotted yard, to her first solo performance in "The Nutcracker," to the waltz of her wedding night, her father is there watching, silent and unobserved. And he smiles.

This tender story of the bond between a father and a daughter, told straight from the heart by the best-selling author of "The Christmas Candle" and illustrated with exquisite, lush paintings, evokes that bond with powerful poignancy. "The Dance" will forever resonate with parents and children everywhere.